LIBRARY 


v.. 


BOOKS  BY  CARL  LUMHOLTZ 


THKODOH  CENTRAL  BORNEO 
NEW  TRAILS  IN   MEXICO 
AMONG  CANNIBALS 

Ea(k  Profuitly  llluilraUd 


CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 


THROUGH    CENTRAL    BORNEO 


«  AKI.  J-lMHol,!/.  IN    IMK   HI  1. 1  N<. AN    1>V  U  H   lutKSi 


THROUGH 
CENTRAL  BORNEO 


AN  ACCOUNT  OF  TWO  YEARS'  TRAVEL  IN  THE 

LAND  OF  THE  HEAD-HUNTERS 

BETWEEN  THE  YEARS   1913  AND  1917 


■  ^  i\^  BY 

^'^''       CARL  LUMHOLTZ 

IfEMBER   OF  THE   SOaETY   OF  SCIENCES   OF  CHRISTIANIA,   NORWAY 

GOLD  MEDALLIST   OF  THE   NORWEGIAN  GEOGRAPHICAL   SOCTETY 

ASSOCIE    ETRANGER    DE    LA    SOCIETE    DE    L'ANTHROPOLOGIE    DE    PARIS,    ETC. 


WITH   ILLUSTRATIONS 

FROM    PHOTOGRAPHS    BY  THE    AUTHOR 

AND   WITH   MAP 


VOLUME   I 


NEW  YORK 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 

1920 


COPYKICBT,  IMO.  BY 

CHARLF.';   '^CRIBN'ER'S   SONS 
Publubed  Sepcembcr,  IMU 


We  may  safely  affirm  that  the  better  specimens  of  savages 
are  much  superior  to  the  lower  examples  of  civilized  peoples. 

Alfred  Russel  ffallace. 


PREFACE 

Ever  since  my  camping  life  with  the  aborigines  of 
Queensland,  many  years  ago,  it  has  been  my  desire  to 
explore  New  Guinea,  the  promised  land  of  all  who  are 
fond  of  nature  and  ambitious  to  discover  fresh  secrets. 
In  furtherance  of  this  purpose  their  Majesties,  the  King 
and  Queen  of  Norway,  the  Norwegian  Geographical  So- 
ciety, the  Royal  Geographical  Society  of  London,  and 
Koninklijk  Nederlandsch  Aardrijkskundig  Genootschap, 
generously  assisted  me  with  grants,  thus  facilitating  my 
efforts  to  raise  the  necessary  funds.  Subscriptions  were 
received  in  Norway,  also  from  American  and  English 
friends,  and  after  purchasing  the  principal  part  of  my 
outfit  in  London,  I  departed  for  New  York  in  the  au- 
tumn of  1913,  en  route  for  the  Dutch  Indies.  In  1914, 
having  first  paid  a  visit  to  the  Bulungan,  in  northeast 
Borneo,  in  order  to  engage  the  necessary  Dayaks,  I  was 
preparing  to  start  for  Dutch  New  Guinea  when  the  war 
broke  out. 

Under  these  changed  conditions  his  Excellency,  tne 
Governor-General,  A.  W.  F.  Idenburg,  regretted  his  in- 
ability to  give  me  a  military  escort  and  other  assistance 
needed  for  carrying  out  my  plan,  and  advised  me  to 
await  a  more  favorable  opportunity.  During  this  in- 
terval, having  meanwhile  visited  India,   I   decided   to 


viii  PREFACE 

make  an  expedition  through  Central  Borneo,  large 
tracts  of  which  arc  unexplored  and  unknown  to  the  out- 
side world.  My  project  was  later  extended  to  include 
other  regions  of  Dutch  Borneo,  and  the  greater  j)art  of 
two  years  was  spent  in  making  researches  among  its  very 
interesting  natives.  In  tliese  undertakings  I  received 
the  valuable  assistance  of  their  Excellencies,  the  gov- 
ernor-general and  the  commanding  general,  as  well  as 
the  higher  officials  of  the  Dutch  Government,  to  all  of 
whom  I  wish  to  express  my  heartfelt  thanks. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  the  well-known  Topo- 
grafische  Inrichting,  in  Batavia,  a  competent  surveyor, 
whose  work  will  later  be  published,  was  attached  to  my 
expeditions.  He  did  not  accompany  me  on  my  first  visit 
to  the  Bulungan,  nor  on  the  second  occasion,  when  I 
went  to  the  lake  of  Sembulo,  where  the  country  is  well 
known.  In  the  map  included  in  this  book  I  have  indi- 
cated the  locations  of  the  different  tribes  in  Dutch 
Borneo,  based  on  information  gathered  from  official  and 
private  .sources  and  on  my  own  observations. 

I  usually  had  a  taxidermist,  first  a  trained  Sarawak 
Dayak,  later  a  Javanese,  to  collect  mammals  and  birds. 
Fishes  and  reptiles  were  also  preserved  in  alcohol. 

Specimens  of  ethnological  interest  were  collected  from 
the  different  tribes  visited;  the  collection  from  the  Pcni- 
hings  I  believe  is  complete.  Measurements  of  227  in- 
dividuals were  taken  and  as  soon  as  practicable  will  be 
worked  out  by  Doctor  K.  S.  Schreiner,  professor  at  the 
University  of  Christiania.  Vocabularies  were  collected 
from  most  of  the  tribes.     In  spite  of  adverse  conditions, 


PREFACE  ix 

due  to  climate  and  the  limitations  under  which  I  trav- 
elled, a  satisfactory  collection  of  photographic  plates  and 
films  was  brought  back.  With  few  exceptions,  these 
photographs  were  taken  by  myself.  For  the  pictures 
facing  page  26  I  am  indebted  to  Doctor  J.  C.  Konings- 
berger,  President  of  the  Volksraad,  Buitenzorg,  Java. 
Those  facing  pages  16  and  17  were  taken  by  Mr. 
J.  F.  Labohm.  The  lower  picture  facing  page  286  was 
taken  by  Mr.  A.  M.  Erskine. 

My  observations  on  the  tribes  are  recorded  in  con- 
formity with  my  itinerary,  and  include  the  Kayans, 
Kenyahs,  Murungs,  Penyahbongs,  Saputans,  the  nomadic 
Punans  and  Bukits,  Penihings,  Oma-Sulings,  Long- 
Glats,  Katingans,  Duhoi  (Ot-Danums),  and  the  Ta- 
moans.  On  one  or  two  occasions  when  gathering  intel- 
ligence from  natives  I  was  very  fortunate  in  my  inform- 
ants— an  advantage  which  will  be  appreciated  by  any 
one  who  has  undertaken  a  similar  errand  and  has  en- 
joyed the  keen  satisfaction  experienced  when  drawing 
the  veil  from  primitive  thought  which  lies  so  near  and 
yet  so  far  away. 

Circumstances  naturally  prevented  me  from  making 
a  thorough  study  of  any  tribe,  but  I  indulge  the  hope 
that  the  material  here  presented  may  prove  In  some  de- 
gree acceptable  to  the  specialist  as  well  as  to  the  general 
reader.  Matter  that  was  thought  to  be  of  purely  anthro- 
pological Interest  is  presented  in  a  special  supplement. 
Above  all,  I  have  abstained  from  generalities,  to  which 
one  might  be  tempted  on  account  of  the  many  similar- 
ities encountered  in  the  tribes  that  were  visited.    With- 


X  PREFACE 

out  the  light  of  experience  it  is  inij)ossible  to  imagine 
how  much  of  interest  and  delight  there  is  in  store  for  the 
student  of  man's  primitive  condition.  However,  as  the 
captain  of  Long  Iram  said  to  me  in  Long  Pahangei, 
"One  must  have  plenty  of  time  to  travel  in  Borneo."  I 
have  pleasure  in  recording  here  the  judicious  manner  in 
which  the  Dutch  authorities  deal  with  the  natives. 

On  a  future  occasion  I  shall  hope  to  be  able  to  pub- 
lish a  detailed  report  on  several  of  the  novel  features  of 
my  Bornean  collections,  especially  as  regards  decorative 
art,  the  protective  wooden  carvings  called  kapatongs, 
the  flying  boat,  etc. 

The  first  collections  sent  to  Norway  ran  the  risks  in- 
cident to  war.  Most  of  them  were  rescued  from  the 
storehouses  at  Antwerp  after  the  German  occupation, 
through  the  exertions  of  the  Norwegian  Foreign  OtTice, 
though  a  smaller  part,  chiefly  zoological,  appears  to 
have  been  lost  in  Genoa.  Count  Nils  Gyldenstolpe,  of 
the  Natural  History  Museum,  Vetenskapsakademien  in 
Stockholm,  who  is  determining  the  mammals  collected, 
informs  me  that  so  far  a  new  species  of  flying  maki 
and  two  new  subspecies  of  flying  squirrels  have  been 
described. 

To  further  my  enterprise,  liberal  gifts  of  supplies  were 
received  from  various  firms  in  Christiania:  preserved 
milk  from  Nestle  &  .Anglo-Swiss  Condensed  Milk  Co., 
tobacco  from  Tiedeinann's  Fabrik,  alcohol  for  preserving 
specimens  from  Loitens  Braenderi,  cacao  from  Freia 
Chokolade  Fabrik.  A  medical  outfit  was  presented  by 
Mr.  L.  Sisscner,  Apotheket  "Kronen,"  Christiania,  and 


PREFACE  xi 

Messrs.  Burrows,  Wellcome  &  Co.,  of  London,  placed  at 
my  disposal  three  of  their  excellent  medicinal  travelling- 
cases. 

I  want  to  express  my  appreciation  of  many  services 
rendered  by  the  Nederlandsche  Handel-Maatschappij 
and  its  branches,  especially  the  Factorij  in  Batavia.  I 
am  under  similar  obligations  to  the  Koninklijke  Paket- 
vaart-Maatschappij,  and  my  thanks  are  also  due  to 
De  Scheepsagentuur  for  courtesies  received.  Miss  Ethel 
Newcomb,  of  New  York,  has  kindly  transcribed  the  two 
songs  rendered. 

Finally  I  desire  to  make  grateful  acknowledgment  of 
valuable  assistance  rendered  by  Doctor  J.  C.  Konings- 
berger,  and  by  Doctor  W.  van  Bemmelen,  director  of 
Koninklijk  Magnetisch  en  Meteorologisch  Observator- 
ium,  Weltevreden,  Batavia. 

Although  force  of  circumstances  altered  the  scope  and 
to  some  extent  the  character  of  this  expedition,  never- 
theless my  Bornean  experiences  afforded  great  satis- 
faction. Moreover,  my  sojourn  in  the  equatorial  regions 
of  the  East  has  imbued  me  with  an  even  stronger  desire 
to  carry  out  my  original  purpose,  which  I  hope  to  ac- 
complish in  the  near  future. 
-,     ^       ,   ..  Carl  Lumholtz 

New  York,  April,  1920. 


CONTENTS 
VOLUME   I 

CHAPTER  I 

VAOC 

DEPARTURE    FROM    NEW    YORK — A    RACE    WITH    THE    IMPERIAL 

LIMITED IMPRESSIONS      OF      JAPAN — SINGAPORE — ARRIVAL 

AT  BATAVIA,  JAVA — BUITENZORG — BORO  BUDUR,  THE   WON- 
DROUS   BUDDHIST   MONUMENT 3 

CHAPTER  II 

BORNEO — CLIMATIC  AND  BIOLOGICAL  CONDITIONS — NATURAL 
RESOURCES — POPULATION — HISTORY — GOVERNMENT  OF  THE 
NATIVES — RACIAL   PROBLEMS I4 

CHAPTER  III 

BANDJERMASIN,  THE  PRINCIPAL  TOWN  IN  DUTCH  BORNEO — 
NORTHWARD  ALONG  THE  EAST  COAST — BALIK  PAPAN,  AN 
OIL  PRODUCING  CENTRE— SAMARINDA — TANDJONG  SELOR — 
THE    SULTAN — UP   THE    KAYAN    RIVER 24 

CHAPTER  IV 

AN  EXPEDITION  INTO  THE  JUNGLE — FIRST  IMPRESSIONS — RAPID 
CHANGE  IN  THE  DENSENESS  OF  VEGETATION — ANIMAL  LIFE 
— A    STUBBORN    FIGHT 34 

CHAPTER  V 

MEETING  PUNANS,  THE  SHY  JUNGLE  PEOPLE — DOWN  THE  RIVER 
AGAIN — MY  ENTHUSIASTIC  BOATMEN — MALAYS  VERSUS 
DAYAKS 44 

CHAPTER  VI 

RESUMPTION  OF  MY  JOURNEY  UP  THE  KAYAN  RIVER — LONG 
PANGIAN — BERI-BERI — HINTS  ON  PROPER  PROVISIONS — 
KENYAHS    FROM   CENTRAL    BORNEO — EFFECT   OF   A    SPIDER's 

BITE 53 

xiii 


xiv  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER   VII 

ON  THE  ISAU  RIVKR — A  KINVAH  lUILd's  FUNERAL — A  GREAT 
FISHING  EXPEDITION — CATCHIN(;  FISH  BY  POISONING  THE 
RIVER — TAKING  OMENS — ENTERTAINING    SCENES 63 

CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  JOURNEY  CONTINUED  UP  THE  K.AYAN  RIVER — FIRST  EX- 
PERIENCE OF  K.IHAMS,  OR  RAPIDS — WITH  K.ENYAH  BOATMEN 
— ADVANTAGE  OF  NATIVE  COOKING — LONG  PELABAN — THE 
ATTRACTIVE  KENYAHS  SOCIAL  STRATA — CUSTOMS  AND  HAB- 
ITS— VALUABLE    BEADS    70 

CHAPTER   IX 

HYDROPHOBIA — FUNERAL  CFREMONIKS— AT  A  PADDI  HARVEST 
—ANOTHER  TUBA-FISHING  EXPEDITION — THE  CHARM  OF 
PRIMITIVE  MAN  —  INTERESTING  CEREMONIES — ON  HEAD- 
HUNTING  GROUND 78 

CHAPTER  X 

IN  FOG  AND  DARKNESS — A  RAID  BY  ANTS — DEPARTURE  FROM 
LONG  PELABAN — AN  EXCITING  PASSAGE — RETURN  TO  TAND- 
JONG   SELOR 89 

CHAPTER  XI 

DEPARTURE  FOR  BANDJERMASIN — A  PLEASANT  STEAMSHIP  LINE 
— ^TWO  HEAD-HUNTERS—  AN  EXPEDITION  TO  LAKE  SFMBULO 
— SAMPIT — THE  ORAN(;-UTAN — STORMY  WEATHER— A  DIS- 
AGREEABLE   RECEPTION 94 

CHAPTER   XII 

THE  WAR  CHANGES  MY  PLANS — CHOLERA — UP  THE  c;REAT  BARITO 
RIVER — PURUK  TJAHU  —  DECIDE  TO  STAY  AMONCi  THE  MU- 
RUNGS — A    DANCING    FEAST IO7 

CHAPTER   XIII 

DAVAK  CURE  OF  DISEASE  —  EVIL  SPIRITS  AND  GOOD — ANIMISM 
—  BLIANS,  THE  PRIEST-DOCTORS — THE  FEAST  OF  RUBBFK- 
GATHERERS — WEDDINGS — IN  PRIMITIVE  SURROUNDINGS  I  I9 


CONTENTS  XV 

CHAPTER  XIV 

PAGE 

THE  SCALY  ANT-EATER — THE  PORCUPINE — THE  BLOW-PIPE — AN 
UNUSUAL  ADVENTURE  WITH  A  SNAKE — HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS 
OF   THE    MURUNGS — AN    UNPLEASANT   AFFAIR I3I 

CHAPTER  XV 

FINAL  START  FOR  CENTRAL  BORNEO — CHRISTMAS  TIME — EXTENT 
OF  MALAY  INFLUENCE — THE  FLOWERS  OF  EQUATORIAL  RE- 
GIONS— AT  AN  OT-DANUM  KAMPONG — ^THE  PICTURESQUE 
KIHAMS,  OR  RAPIDS — FORMIDABLE  OBSTACLES  TO  TRAVEL — 
MALAYS   ON   STRIKE I47 

CHAPTER  XVI 

ARRIVAL  AT  BAHANDANG — ON  THE  EQUATOR — A  STARTLING  ROB- 
BERY— OUR  MOST  LABORIOUS  JOURNEY — HORNBILLS — THE 
SNAKE  AND  THE  INTREPID  PENYAHBONG — ARRIVAL  AT 
TAMALOE 160 

CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  PENYAHBONGS,  MEN  OF  THE  WOODS — RHINOCEROS  HUNTERS 
— CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  PENYAHBONGS — EASY  HOUSE- 
KEEPING— DAILY   LIFE — WOMAN's   LOT 1 74 

CHAPTER  XVIII 

A  STRANGE  MAMMAL — ANIMAL  LIFE  IN  CENTRAL  BORNEO — A 
SUPERB  AND  SILENT  REALM — VISIT  TO  A  SALT  WATER  EXU- 
DATION— PASSING  THE  DIVIDING  RIDGE — A  MOUSE-DEER 
CHASE — ON  THE    KASAO   RIVER 1 86 

CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  SAPUTANS — HOW  THE  EARS  OF  THE  CHIEF  WERE  PIERCED 
— AN  UNEXPECTED  ATTACK  OF  FILARIASIS — DEPARTURE 
FROM  THE  SAPUTANS — DOWN  THE  KASAO  RIVER — "TOBOG- 
GANING*'  THE   KIHAMS I97 

CHAPTER  XX 

ARRIVAL   ON   THE    MAHAKAM    RIVER — AMONG   THE    PENIHINGS — 

LONG  KAI,  A  PLEASANT  PLACE — A  BLIAN's  SHIELD PUNANS 

AND  BUKATS,   SIMPLE-MINDED  NOMADS — EXTREME   PENALTY 

FOR   UNFAITHFULNESS — LONG  TJEHAN 210 


xvi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XXI 

PACI 

AN  EXCURSION  DOWN  THE  RIVER — LONG  PAHANGEI — THE  OMA- 
5ULINGS — THE  GREAT  TRIENNIAL  FESTIVAL — HOSPITABLE 
NATIVES — INCIDENTS    IN    PHOTOGRAPHY 220 

CHAPTER  XXH 

DAYAK  DOGS — A  FUNERAL  ON  THE  MAHAKAM — OUR  RETURN 
JOURNEY — AGAIN  AT  LONGTJEHAN — IN  SEARCH  OF  A  UNIQUE 
ORCHID — A    BURIAL    CAVE 234 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Carl  Lumholtz  In  the  Bulungan,  Dutch  Borneo,  May,  1914       .  Frontispiece 

FACING    PACE 

In  the  jungle  of  Southern  Borneo,  near  the  Sampit  River     ....  16 

The  Giant  Taro  {Alocasia  Macrorhiza) 17 

The  Orang-Utan.     A  more  than  half-grown  specimen 26 

The  Long-Nosed  Monkey  {Nasalis  Larvatus),  peculiar  to  Borneo    .      .  26 

The  Sultan  of  Bulungan 27 

Chonggat,  the  author's  Dayak  collector  of  animals  and  birds    ...  27 

Approaching  Kaburau,  on  the  Kayan  River 36 

Banglan,  a  Kayan,  and  his  family.     Kaburau 37 

Ladders,  below  Long  Pangian,  on  the  Kayan  River 37 

Young  Kayan,  from  Kaburau 38 

Kayan,  from  Kaburau.     Shows  a  Chinese  manner  of  hair-dressing       ,  38 

Kayan  from  Kaburau.     Showing  the  distended  ear  lobes     ....  38 

Kayan  child,  Kaburau 39 

Kayan  mother  and  infant.     Near  Long  Pangian 39 

Punans,  the  shy  nomads  of  the  jungle 46 

Punans  near  my  camp 47 

Punan  using  the  sumpitan  or  blowpipe 50 

Kayan  climbing  a  tree 51 

Kayan  at  the  author's  camp,  blowing  a  native  wind  instrument     .     .  54 

The  King  Cobra  (Naia  Bungarus) 55 

Young  Orang-Utans 55 

Kayan,  from  Kaburau.     Front,  side,  and  back  views 60 

Kayan,  in  mourning  dress,  Kaburau 60 

Kenyah,  from  Long  Pelaban.     Front,  side,  and  back  views       ...  61 

Tuba  fishing  on  the  Isau  River 66 

Tuba  fishing.     Taking  the  augury  by  fire-making.     Isau  River       .      .  67 

Tuba  fishing.     Effects  of  the  poison.     Pipa  River 67 

Kenyahs  starting  in  the  morning  for  distant  Apo  Kayan.    Long  Pan- 
gian, Kayan  River 72 

zvii 


xviii  ILLUSTRAIIONS 

rACTHC  fACt 

A  funeral  house.     Near  Long  Pclaban,  Kayan  River 73 

Long  Felaban,  a  Kenyah  kampong,  on  the  Kayan  River       ....  74 

llic  gallery  of  a  communal  house,  Long  Pt-Iaban,  Kayan  River  75 

Kenyah  father  and  child.     Long  Pclaban,  Kayan  River        ....  80 

Kenyah  woman,  with  large  basket  used  for  carrying  rice.     Long  Pcla- 
ban, Kayan  River 81 

A  Kenyah's  sweetheart  removing  his  eyebrows  and  eyelashes.     Long 

Felaban,  Kayan  River 82 

Wrestling.     Long  PeJaban,  Kayan  River 82 

Kenyah  girl,  in  a  woman's  usual  attire.     Long  Pelaban,  Kayan  River  83 

Kenyah  mother  and  child,  on  their  daily  trips  to  the  Long  Pelaban, 

Kayan  River 84 

Tuba  fishing,  at  the  Pipa  River 85 

Kenyah  ready  for  a  trip  to  the  ladang  (fields).    Long  Pelaban,  Kayan 

River 90 

Kenyah  in  full  war  attire.     Long  Pelaban,  Kayan  River      ....  91 

Sacrificing  the  pig  at  the  festival.     Tumbang  Marowei 116 

Murung  women  squatting  in  order  to  observe  the  author.     Tumbang 

Marowei 116 

Murung  man  and  wife.     Tumbang  Marowei 117 

The   beating  of  gongs   furnishes    the   music   at   festivals.     Tumbang 

Marowei 1 24 

The  Feast  of  the  Rubber  Gatherers.     Tumbang  Marowei     ....  124 

Blians,  or  priest-doctors,  at  Tumbang  Marowei 125 

Murung  women  smoking  cigarettes  and  preparing  them  from  native 

tobacco  and  leaves  of  trees.     Tumbang  Marowei 136 

The  Scaly  Ant-Eater  (Manu).     Tumbang  Marowei 136 

Telok  Djulo,  an  Ot-Danum  kampong,  on  the  Barito  River  ....  137 

Ot-Danum,  wearing  gold  breastplates.     Telok  Djulo 152 

Pishing  the  Kiham  Mudang,  on  the  rppi'r  '^^r'^o  K'^'®*"       •      •      •      •  »53 

Rough  travel  by  boat  on  the  Upper  Barito  River 162 

Passing  the  boats  up  the  rapids  of  the  Upper  Barito  River  ...  163 

Part  of  my  provisions,  at  I^ahandang,  Busang  River 166 

Djobing,  our  efficient  Malay 166 

Part  of  the  expedition  ascending  the  Busang  River 167 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xix 

FACINC    PAGE 

Tamaloe,  a  lately  formed  Penyahbong  kampong 172 

Pisha,  the  good  Penyahbong  chief.     Tamaloe 173 

Penyahbong  rhino  hunters.     Tamaloe 178 

Penyahbong  women.     Tamaloe 179 

Back  view  of  the  Penyahbong  women,  showing  their  head-dress     .      .  179 

Penyahbong,  front,  side,  and  back  view.    Tamaloe 182 

The  Penyahbong  war  dance.     Tamaloe 183 

Saputan,  on  his  way  to  the  ladang  (fields)  and  for  the  hunt  of  Babi. 

Data  Laong 194 

Saputans,  front  and  side  views.     Data  Laong 195 

Saputan,  the  kapala  of  Data  Laong 202 

Saputans  showing  their  war  prowess 202 

Saputans  poling.     Data  Laong 203 

Piercing  the  ears  of  the  Saputan  chief  in  order  to  insert  a  tiger  cat's 

corner  teeth.     Data  Laong 203 

Mahakam  River,  westward  view,  from  the  author's  tent,  at  Long  Kai  212 

Penihings,  the  kapala  of  Long  Kai  and  his  children 213 

Bukat,at  Long  Kai,  front,  side,  and  back  views 216 

Bukatwomen,  at  Long  Kai,  front  and  side  views 217 

The  Melah  ceremony  for  imparting  health  and  strength.     Long  Pa- 

hangei 222 

Oma-Sulings.    Long  Pahangei 222 

The  Dangei  hut,  a  temporary  place  of  worship 223 

The  Raja  Besar,  or  great  chief,  and  his  wife.     Long  Pahangei  .      .      .  226 

Large  wooden  drum.     Long  Pahangei 226 

Lidju,  a  Long-Glat  noble,  and  his  wife,  the  sister  of  the  Raja  Besar. 

Long  Pahangei 227 

Cooking  rice  in  bamboo  receptacles.     Long  Pahangei 232 

Lung  Karang,  a  limestone  hill,  near  Long  Tjehan,  on  the  Mahakam 

River 233 

Penihing  burial  cave,  near  the  Tjehan  River 240 

Penihing  women  carrying  water.     Long  Kai 241 

Penihings,  from  Long  Kai 241 


THROUGH   CENTRAL    BORNEO 


CHAPTER  I 

DEPARTURE  FROM  NEW  YORK — ^A  RACE  WITH  THE  IMPERIAL 
LIMITED — IMPRESSIONS  OF  JAPAN — SINGAPORE — ^AR- 
RIVAL AT  BATAVIA,  JAVA — BUITENZORG BORO  BUDUR, 

THE  WONDROUS  BUDDHIST  MONUMENT 

Having  concluded  important  business  matters  dur- 
ing a  brief  stay  in  New  York,  I  decided  to  go  to  Canada 
to  take  the  express  train  for  Vancouver.  It  was  the 
last  train  which  made  connection  with  the  Canadian 
Pacific  steamer  for  Hong-Kong,  and  if  I  could  make  it 
I  should  save  three  weeks.  With  the  assurance  that 
I  should  have  a  couple  of  hours  latitude,  I  started  in 
the  morning  for  Montreal.  There  was  no  doubt  that  I 
should  make  it  unless  something  unusual  delayed  the 
north-bound  train,  and  that  is  exactly  what  occurred. 
The  steam  power  of  the  brake  got  out  of  order,  necessi- 
tating a  stop  for  repairs,  and  considerable  time  was  lost. 
Darkness  came  on  and  I  began  to  feel  anxious  about  the 
prospect  of  gaining  my  object. 

The  conductor  and  his  assistant,  in  the  knowledge 
that  I  had  a  through  ticket  to  Hong-Kong,  did  everything 
in  their  power  to  aid  me.  Wire  messages  were  sent  to 
have  the  Imperial  Limited  Express  wait  for  "a  man 
travelling  first-class";  to  the  custom-house,  and  also 
for  a  cab  and  four  "red  caps*'  to  meet  me  on  arrival. 


4  THROUGH   CENTRAL    BORNEO 

The  assistant  conductor  told  everybody  of  the  plight  of 
the  passenger  with  the  long  journey  before  him,  the  en- 
gineer was  prevailed  upon  to  increase  his  speed;  and  the 
passengers  began  to  exhibit  interest.  A  tall  Canadian 
came  to  me  and  expressed  his  belief  that  I  would  catch 
that  train,  and  even  if  it  should  be  gone  there  was  another 
a  little  later  by  which  it  might  be  overtaken.  "I  shall 
assist  you,"  he  added. 

As  we  approached  Montreal  there  were  still  twelve 
minutes  left.  The  lights  of  the  city  were  visible  near  by, 
and  one  of  my  fellow  passengers  was  in  the  act  of  assuring 
me  that  my  chances  were  good,  when  our  train  suddenly 
stopped — on  account  of  the  bridge  being  open  to  permit 
a  ship  to  pass.  Ten  minutes  lost !  I  had  decided,  if 
necessary',  to  sacrifice  two  boxes  of  honey  which  I  had 
bought  at  the  last  moment,  honey  and  water  being  my 
usual  drink  when  on  expeditions.  The  total  weight  was 
ninety  kilograms,  but  they  were  neatly  packed  in  paper 
and  had  been  allowed  to  stand  at  one  side  of  the  entrance 
to  the  Pullman  car.  They  were  an  important  adjunct 
of  my  outfit,  but  perhaps  after  all  it  would  be  necessary 
for  us  to  part. 

Immediately  upon  the  opening  of  the  doors  the  four 
porters  presented  themselves  with  the  encouraging  in- 
formation that  they  understood  thr  Imperial  Limited 
was  waiting.  My  luggage,  including  the  honey,  was  hur- 
ried on  to  a  Inrge  truck,  my  Canadian  friend  rlirnwing 
his  cm  tcHi,  and  speeding  the  boys  to  a  trot,  we  ran  as  fast 
as  we  could  to  the  baggage-room  of  the  custom-house, 
where  the  official  in  charge  caused  us  only  a  short  delay. 


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BORNEO  (DOTTED  SURFACE)   AS  COMPARED  IN  SIZE  WITH  THE  BRITISH 

ISLES   fWHITE) 

(After  W«lUce) 


A   RACE   FOR  THE  LIMITED  5 

As  the  packages  were  being  loaded  into  three  cabs  a  man 
stepped  forward  and  accosted  me:  "We  have  got  you 
now !  I  am  a  reporter  for  The  Star,  and  would  like  to 
know  who  the  man  is  that  keeps  the  Imperial  Limited 
waiting  !"  The  moment  did  not  seem  favourable  for  an 
interview,  but  I  invited  him  to  enter  my  cab  and  the  two 
or  three  minutes  required  to  drive  to  the  station  afforded 
opportunity  for  an  explanation: 

I  was  on  my  way  to  New  Guinea.  This  was  a  Nor- 
wegian undertaking  which  had  the  support  of  three  geo- 
graphical societies.  It  was  hoped  that  a  geologist  and  a 
botanist  from  Norway  would  meet  me  next  year  in  Ba- 
tavia  to  take  part  in  this  expedition  to  one  of  the  least- 
known  regions  on  the  globe.  **What  do  you  expect  to 
find  V  he  asked  just  as  we  halted. 

The  porters  outside  said  the  train  was  gone,  having 
waited  fifteen  minutes.  The  newspaper  man  immediately 
joined  forces  with  my  Canadian  friend,  and  they  were 
equally  determined  that  by  some  means  I  should  over- 
take that  train.  First  we  went  to  look  for  the  station- 
master,  hoping  through  him  to  obtain  permission  to  have 
the  train  stopped  en  route.  When  found  after  a  few 
minutes*  search,  he  tried  in  vain  to  get  one  of  the  officials 
of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Company  on  the  telephone.  My 
two  friends  stood  near  to  keep  his  interest  active,  but  he 
did  not  seem  to  succeed.  The  station  was  quiet  and 
looked  abandoned.  It  was  after  ten  o'clock  and  at  that 
time  of  the  evening  the  hope  of  reaching  an  official  at  his 
residence  seemed  forlorn. 

Meantime  I  had  my  luggage  ready  to  throw  aboard 


6  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

the  10.30  express,  which  was  my  one  chance  in  case  the 
Imperial  Limited  could  be  halted.  The  three  men  were 
persistent  but  finally,  two  or  three  minutes  before  the 
de[)arture  of  the  express,  they  came  to  me  hurriedly  and 
said:  "You  had  better  go  by  this  train  to  North  Bay, 
where  you  will  arrive  at  9.30  to-morrow  morning.  There 
you  will  catch  the  train,  or  if  not  you  can  return  here." 
There  appeared  to  me  small  prospect  that  the  three  men 
would  succeed  in  <jbtaining  the  desired  permission,  but 
I  had  no  time  for  reflection.  The  train  was  ready  to 
start  and  my  luggage  was  hastily  thrown  to  the  platform 
of  the  car.  I  bade  the  gentlemen  a  hurried  good-bye, 
thanking  them  for  all  the  trouble  they  had  taken.  "You 
are  going  to  catch  that  train  !"  the  reporter  exclaimed  in 
a  firm  and  encouraging  tone.  "  But  what  do  you  expect  to 
find  in  New  Guinea  .''"  he  suddenly  inquired  as  I  jumped 
on  to  the  slowly  moving  train. 

Reflecting  that  in  the  worst  case  I  would  be  back  in 
Montreal  in  one  and  a  half  days,  I  fell  asleep.  At  6.30 
in  the  morning  I  was  awakened  by  the  voice  of  the 
porter  saying,  "the  train  is  waiting  for  you,  sir,"  as  he 
rolled  up  the  curtain.  Ir  really  was  the  Imperial  Express  ! 
The  big  red  cars  stood  there  quietly  in  the  sunshine  of  the 
early  morning.  In  a  few  minutes  I  was  dressed,  and  never 
with  greater  satisfaction  have  I  paid  a  porter  his  fee. 

The  station  was  Chalk  River,  and  the  train  had  waited 
forty  minutes.  What  a  comfortable  feeling  to  know  that 
all  my  belongings  were  safely  on  Im.ini  !  1  had  not 
only  saved  time  and  money  but  an  interesting  trip  across 
the  continent  lay  before  me.     Having  washed  and  f)ut  on 


A   RACE   FOR  THE  LIMITED  7 

clean  garments,  I  had  my  breakfast  while  passing  through 
an  enchanting  hilly  country,  amid  smiling  white  birches, 
and  the  maples  in  the  autumn  glory  of  their  foliage,  with 
more  intensely  red  colouring  than  can  be  seen  outside 
North  America.  The  oatmeal  porridge  seemed  unusually 
well  prepared:  the  waiter  intimated  that  the  cook  was 
a  Parisian.  However  that  might  have  been,  he  was 
probablv  of  French  descent. 

Four  days  later  we  arrived  at  Vancouver,  where  I 
wrote  to  the  three  gentlemen  of  Montreal,  my  apprecia- 
tion of  services  rendered,  addressing  them  care  of  The 
Star.  Their  names  I  did  not  know,  but  it  was  not  the 
first  time  that  I  had  been  reminded  of  Darwin's  assurance, 
in  the  account  of  his  travels  round  the  world,  as  to  "how 
many  truly  kind-hearted  people  there  are,  with  whom  he 
(the  traveller)  never  before  had,  nor  ever  again  will  have 
any  further  communication,  who  yet  are  ready  to  offer 
him  the  most  disinterested  assistance." 

Early  in  the  morning  on  October  19  we  saw  the 
first  Japanese  fishing-boats.  The  sea  was  green  and  in 
the  atmosphere  a  kind  of  haze,  which  almost  seems  pe- 
culiar to  Japan,  imparted  an  artistic  tone  to  everything. 
In  splendid  weather,  almost  calm,  we  sailed  along  the  coast 
of  Nippon.  As  we  entered  the  bay  of  Yokohama  the 
sun  was  setting  over  a  landscape  that  realised  one's  pre- 
conceived ideas  of  the  beauty  of  the  country.  On  one 
side,  low  ridges  with  rows  of  picturesque  pine-trees  just 
as  you  know  them  from  Japanese  prints,  while  in  the 
background  to  the  west,  above  the  clouds  rose  the  top  of 
Fuji,  nearly  4,000  metres  above  sea-level.     We  steamed 


8       THROrCH  CFNTRAI.  BORNEO 

up  in  absolute  calm,  while  the  long  twilight  was  still 
further  prolonged  by  a  brilliant  afterglow. 

Taking  advantage  of  the  permit  to  leave  the  steamer 
and  rejoin  it  in  Kobe,  and  having  received  useful  advice 
from  Cook's  representative  who  came  on  board,  I  imme- 
diately went  ashore.  On  calling  a  rickshaw  I  was  much 
surprised  to  find  that  the  man  spoke  English  quite  well. 
He  trotted  continuously  twenty  minutes,  to  the  railway 
station,  where  in  good  time  I  caught  the  train  for  the 
West,  and  at  daybreak  I  was  ready  to  observe  the  beauti- 
ful country  through  which  we  passed.  I  had  made  no 
provision  for  breakfast,  but  one  of  my  fellow  travellers, 
who  came  from  Tokio,  had  the  courtesy  to  offer  me  two 
snipe  with  bacon,  which  tasted  uncommonly  well. 

In  the  morning  I  arrived  at  Kioto,  the  city  of  many 
temples,  and  found  the  Kioto  hotel  satisfactory.  I  shall 
not  attempt  to  describe  in  detail  the  fascination  of  the 
two  days  I  spent  here,  where  one  still  may  see  something 
of  old  Japan.  In  Kobe,  Nagasaki,  and  other  cities  ex- 
posed to  the  stream  of  travellers,  Western  influence  is 
evident  everywhere,  and  the  inhabitants  are  less  attrac- 
tive on  that  account.  After  all  one  has  heard  and  read 
about  the  charm  of  the  country,  one  is  inclined  to  think 
that  the  reports  are  exaggerated,  but  as  far  as  my  brief 
experience  in  Nippon  goes,  it  is  the  most  beautiful  and 
interesting  country  that  I  have  visited,  and  I  hope  in  the 
future  to  know  it  better. 

Ihe  deepest  impression  made  upon  me  by  riie  Japanese 
was  that  they  are  all  so  active,  healthy,  and  strong;  al- 
ways good-tempered,  their  manners  are  exquisite,  even  the 


IMPRESSIONS  OF  JAPAN  9 

plain  people  bowing  to  each  other,  and  many  young  peo- 
ple saluted  me  on  the  street.  The  infinite  variety  in  their 
shops  is  noticeable.  To  see  the  coaling  of  the  steamers 
in  Japanese  harbours,  which  is  done  by  baskets  handed 
from  one  to  another,  makes  an  impression  on  the  traveller. 
Hundreds  of  women  and  men  take  part  in  the  occupation, 
and  they  come  neatly  dressed  to  this  dirty  work,  women 
with  clean  white  kerchiefs  on  their  heads.  The  low 
ditches  in  their  rice-fields  are  like  engineering  work,  and 
their  bundles  of  wood  are  nicely  tied. 

Of  the  many  temples  I  visited  in  Kioto  the  first  was 
Chion-in,  which  lies  impressively  on  an  elevation  at  the 
foot  of  a  charming  wooded  hill.  The  tiny  lake  at  the  back 
of  the  quaint  structure,  the  peaceful  atmosphere,  the  sun- 
shine, and  singing  birds — the  tout  ensemble  was  inexpres- 
sibly beautiful.  On  my  way  back  to  the  hotel  I  passed  a 
Christian  church  and  felt  ashamed  of  the  wretched  archi- 
tecture, in  the  usual  conventional  style,  made  of  stone 
with  white-plastered  walls,  hard  and  unattractive.  Never 
have  I  been  among  a  people  so  close  to  nature,  strikingly 
intelligent,  friendly,  and  the  most  aesthetic  of  all  nations 
on  the  globe. 

In  continuing  the  journey  opportunity  is  afi^orded  to 
see  Shanghai,  Hong-Kong,  and  at  last  Singapore,  the 
important  port  of  the  Malay  Peninsula.  Singapore,  with 
its  green  lawns  and  trees,  has  a  pleasant,  though  humid 
climate,  cooler  than  that  of  Batavia,  and  quite  comforta- 
ble although  so  near  the  equator.  It  is  satisfying  to  know 
one  place  where  the  native  races  have  a  good  time  in 
competition  with  the  whites,  not  only  the  Chinese,  who 


10  TIIROrCH   CFNTRAI,    HORXKO 

have  reached  power  and  influence  here,  but  also  the  Ma- 
lays, natives  of  India,  Arabs,  etc.  The  Chinese  rickshaw 
men  here  are  of  superb  physique,  and  the  excellence  of 
the  service  renders  this  the  most  agreeable  method  of 
getting  about.  Moreover,  it  is  a  pleasure  to  watch  their 
athletic  movements  and  long  easy  stride,  as  if  they  were 
half  flying.  Some  of  them  pass  the  carriages.  They  are 
jolly,  like  big  children,  and  are  natural  teetotalers,  but 
they  sometimes  fight  about  money  among  themselves. 

After  securing  a  Chinese  photographer  and  a  trained 
native  collector  of  zoological  specimens,  I  embarked  in 
the  excellent  Dutch  steamer  Rur?iphius  for  Batavia  where 
I  arrived  on  the  loth  of  November.  The  first  thing  to 
be  done  was  to  ask  an  audience  of  the  Governor-General 
of  Netherlands  India,  who  usually  stays  at  Buitenzorg, 
the  site  of  the  world-famous  botanical  gardens.  It  is 
an  hour's  trip  by  express  from  Batavia,  and  although  only 
265  metres  higher,  has  a  much  pleasanter  climate.  The 
palace,  which  is  within  tlic  botanical  gardens,  has  an  un- 
usually attractive  situation,  and  the  interior  is  light,  cool, 
and  stately.  His  excellency,  A.  \\'.  F.  Idenburg,  most 
courteously  gave  the  necessary  orders  for  the  furtherance 
of  my  proposed  expedition  to  New  Guinea,  and  as  it  was 
necessary  for  me  to  go  first  to  Dutch  Borneo,  to  secure  a 
Dayak  crew,  he  provided  me  with  an  introduction  to  the 
Resident  of  the  South  and  Eastern  Division. 

During  the  few  days  I  stayed  in  Buitenzorg,  the  bo- 
tanical gardens  were  a  source  of  ever  new  dilight.  It  u.is 
in  the  latter  half  of  November  and  tluis  will  inti)  the  rainy 
season.     Usually  showers  came  every  afternoon,  but  the 


IMPRESSIONS  OF  JAVA  ii 

mornings,  even  up  to  eleven  o'clock,  always  appeared 
like  spring-time,  only  in  a  more  magnificent  edition  than 
that  of  temperate  zones.  In  the  effulgence  of  light  and 
the  fresh  coolness  of  the  first  hours  of  the  day,  plant  and 
animal  life  seemed  jubilant.  After  the  calm  and  heat  of 
midday,  violent  thunder-storms  of  short  duration  may 
occur,  but  the  evenings  are  generally  beautiful,  although 
the  prevailing  inclination  is  to  retire  early.  In  the  tropics 
one  realises  more  readily  than  elsewhere  how  a  single  day 
contains  all  the  verities  and  realities  of  one's  whole  life: 
spring,  summer,  and  autumn  every  day,  as  in  a  year  or  in 
a  lifetime.  Australians  and  Americans  who  visit  Java 
every  year  make  a  great  mistake  in  selecting  the  dry  sea- 
son, April  to  July,  for  their  travels.  To  be  sure,  one  is  not 
then  troubled  by  rain,  but  on  the  other  hand  the  heat 
is  greater,  the  country  becomes  dry,  and  including  the 
botanical  gardens,  loses  much  of  its  attraction. 

I  decided  to  go  by  rail  to  Soerabaia,  the  point  of  steam- 
boat connection  with  Borneo;  this  would  give  me  op- 
portunity to  see  Java  besides  saving  some  time.  After 
twelve  hours'  travel  by  express  the  train  stops  for  the 
night  at  Djokjakarta  where  there  is  a  good  hotel.  We 
now  find  ourselves  in  a  region  which  formerly  was  the  main 
seat  of  Buddhism  in  Java.  The  world-famous  monu- 
ment, Boro  Budur,  is  in  the  neighbourhood  to  the  north 
in  the  district  of  Kedu,  and  by  motor-car  a  visit  may 
easily  be  made  in  one  day,  but  for  those  who  can  spend 
more  time  on  this  interesting  excursion  there  is  satisfac- 
tory accommodation  in  a  small  hotel  near  by.  The 
government  has  of  late  years  successfully  restored  this 


12  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

magnificent  ancient  structure  which  at  its  base  forms 
a  sc^uare,  with  the  length  of  the  side  150  metres,  and  rises 
to  a  height  of  more  than  30  metres.  At  first  sight  it  docs 
not  seem  as  large  as  expected,  but  on  entering  the  first 
gallery  one  is  struck  by  the  monumental  magnitude  and 
unique  beauty  of  the  edifice. 

Built  uj)()n  a  small  liill  from  blocks  of  trachyte,  it 
consists  of  twelve  terraces  rising  one  above  another,  and 
connected  by  staircases.  The  uppermost  terrace,  fifteen 
metres  in  diameter,  has  a  dome.  Each  gallery  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  wall  adorned  with  niches  in  handsome 
settings,  each  containing  a  life-sized  Buddha,  with  legs 
crossed,  soles  turned  downward.  There  are  432  such 
niches,  and  from  this  great  number  of  statues  of  the 
famous  religious  founder  the  place  probably  derived  its 
name,  Boro  Budur  equals  Bara  Buddha  (Buddhas  without 
number). 

There  are  no  less  than  1,600  bas  reliefs,  handsome 
carvings  in  hard  stone  mostly  representing  scenes  from 
the  life  of  Buddha  and  "which  must,"  says  Wallace,  "oc- 
cupy an  extent  of  nearly  three  miles  in  length.  The 
amount  of  human  labour  and  skill  expended  on  the  Great 
Pyramids  of  Egypt  sink  into  insignificance  when  compared 
with  that  recjuired  to  complete  this  scul|)tured  hill- 
temple  in  the  interior  of  Java."  It  dates  from  the  eighth 
or  ninth  century  after  Christ,  and  in  reality  is  not  a 
temple,  but  a  so-called  dagoba,  dedicated  to  the  keeping 
of  some  Buddhist  sacred  relic  which  was  deposited  in 
the  dome,  its  principal  part.  In  the  beautiful  light  of 
afternrK)n  the  walk  throii;;h  the  g.illeries  was  especially 


IMPRESSIONS  OF  JAVA  13 

impressive.  From  that  vantage  point  there  is  presented 
a  fine,  extensive  view  of  a  peaceful  landscape,  and  at  the 
time  of  my  visit  an  actively  smoking  volcano  in  the  far 
distance  added  a  picturesque  feature.  In  the  vicinity 
is  another  noble  Hindu  structure,  the  so-called  temple  of 
Mendut,  inside  of  which  is  found  a  large  and  singular 
Buddha  sitting  on  a  chair,  legs  hanging  down.  The  fig- 
ure is  nude  and  the  expression  on  its  features  is  very  mild. 
The  journey  from  Djokjakarta  to  Soerabaia  consumes 
about  half  a  day  and  the  trip  is  pleasanter  than  that 
of  the  previous  day,  when  the  rolling  of  the  fast  express  on 
a  narrow-gauge  track  was  rather  trying,  while  at  dinner- 
time the  soup  and  water  were  thrown  about  in  an  annoy- 
ing manner.  I  have  no  doubt  that  this  defect  will  soon 
be  remedied,  for  Java  is  still  what  a  very  distinguished 
English  visitor  said  sixty  years  ago:  "the  very  garden  of 
the  East  and  perhaps  upon  the  whole  the  richest,  best 
cultivated,  and  best  governed  tropical  island  in  the 
world."  Soerabaia  is  the  great  shipping  port  for  sugar, 
tobacco,  etc.,  and  a  more  important  commercial  centre 
than  Batavia.  The  day  after  my  arrival  I  started  for 
Borneo  where  I  intended  to  proceed  to  the  Kayan  or 
Bulungan  River  in  the  Northeast.  It  was  my  purpose 
to  take  advantage  of  the  occasion  to  acquaint  myself 
with  that  district  and  its  natives  which  would  extend  my 
travels  by  a  few  months. 


CilAlTER   II 

BORNEO CM.INIATIC     AND     BIOLOGICAL     CONDITIONS — NAT- 
URAL    RKSOL  RCKS — POPILATION HISTORY C;OVERN- 

MENT  OF  THE   NATIVES — RACIAL  PROBLEMS 

Leavinc.  Greenland  out  of  consideration,  Borneo 
is  the  second  largest  island  on  the  globe,  the  greater 
part  of  it,  southern  and  eastern,  belonging  to  Holland. 
In  a  recent  geological  period  this  island  as  well  as  Java 
and  Sumatra  formed  part  of  Asia.  A  glance  at  the  map 
shows  that  Borneo  is  drained  by  rivers  which  originate 
in  the  central  region  near  each  other,  the  greater  by  far 
being  in  Dutch  territory,  some  of  them  navigable  to  large 
steam  launches  for  500  or  6cxd  kilometres.  The  princi- 
pal chain  of  mountains  runs,  roughly  speaking,  from 
northeast  to  southwest,  the  average  height  being  perhaps 
1,000-1,500  metres,  with  liighcr  peaks  now  and  then. 
There  are  also  ranges  from  east  and  west.  Ihc  remainder 
is  irregular  hilly  country,  with  low  swampy  coasts.  The 
highest  mountain  is  Kinabalu,  in  the  north,  about  4,500 
metres  above  the  sea  and  composed  of  **porphyritic 
granite  and  igneous  rocks."  There  are  no  active  vol- 
canoes. The  whole  island  is  covered  with  forest  vegeta- 
tion from  the  coasts  to  the  tops  of  the  hills  and  ranges. 

The  climate  is  humid  and  warm  and  remarkably  even, 
the  thermometer  in  rlie  inland  rarely  reaching  above 
85°  F".  in  the  shade.  Rain  is  copious  most  of  the  year; 
at  night  it  sometimes  rains  continuously;  but  a  day  of 

14 


CLIMATE  AND   BIOLOGICAL  CONDITIONS      15 

uninterrupted  downpour  did  not  occur  during  my  two 
years  of  traveL  It  comes  in  showers,  usually  lasting  an 
hour  or  two,  when  it  clears  as  suddenly  as  it  began,  and 
within  half  an  hour  all  is  dry  again.  In  the  interior,  on 
account  of  the  vast  jungles,  except  in  case  of  thunder- 
storms, which  are  rare,  there  is  no  wind,  but  on  the  coasts 
one  may  encounter  storms  in  the  time  of  both  the  north- 
east and  the  southwest  monsoons.  Though  Borneo  and 
the  central  mountains  of  New  Guinea  have  the  greatest 
rainfall  in  the  Malay  Archipelago,  there  is  a  distinct 
dry  season,  which  is  mostly  felt  during  April,  May,  and 
June,  but  is  less  noticeable  in  the  central  parts.  As  re- 
gards the  distribution  of  rain  and  dry  weather,  some  dif- 
ference was  experienced  as  between  the  two  years,  and  a 
planter  of  several  years'  experience  in  the  south  told  me 
that  one  year  is  not  like  another.  In  spite  of  the  general 
supposition  to  the  contrary  the  climate  of  Borneo  is  quite 
pleasant,  and  probably  less  unhealthful  than  most  equa- 
torial regions,  particularly  in  the  central  part  where  ma- 
laria is  rare  and  prickly  heat  does  not  occur. 

Borneo  has  very  many  useful  trees,  notably  hard 
woods.  Rubber  is  still  a  source  of  income  to  the  Malays 
and  Dayaks,  and  the  rattan  and  bamboo,  on  which  the 
very  existence  of  the  natives  depends,  grow  everywhere. 
The  sago-palm  and  a  great  number  of  valuable  wild  fruits 
are  found,  such  as  the  famous  durian,  mangosteen,  lansat, 
rambutan,  and  others.  The  climate  seems  to  be  specially 
suited  to  fruit,  the  pineapple  and  pomelo  reaching  their 
highest  perfection  here.  The  coconut-palm  thrives  on 
the  island.     Borneo  is  famous  for  its  orchids  and  most  of 


i6  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

the  species  of  pitcher-plants  {nepenthes)  are  found  here, 
the  largest  of  which  will  hold  two  "quarts"  of  water. 

The  elephant,  rhinoceros,  tapir,  wild  cattle,  and 
many  other  kinds  of  smaller  animals  of  Asia  are  found  in 
Borneo.  No  Indian  tigers  are  in  the  country,  though 
many  varieties  of  the  cat  family  are  there,  among  them 
the  beautiful  large  felis  nebulosa.  Wild  pigs  of  many 
species  roam  the  jungle  in  abundance.  Several  kinds  of 
mammals  are  peculiar  to  the  island,  among  which  may  be 
mentioned  the  long-nosed  monkey  {nasalis  larvatus). 
There  are  over  550  species  of  birds,  but  the  individuals  of 
the  species  are  not  numerous;  the  pheasant  family  is 
especially  gorgeous  in  form  and  colour.  The  rivers  and 
the  surrounding  sea  swarm  with  fish  of  many  kinds,  fur- 
nishing an  abundance  of  food,  although  generally  not  very 
palatable.  The  djelavat,  in  flavour  not  unlike  salmon, 
and  the  salap,  both  of  which  I  met  in  the  upper  courses  of 
the  rivers  Samba,  Barito,  and  Mahakam,  are  notable 
exceptions. 

The  mineral  resources  of  Borneo  are  very  consider- 
able; coal,  gold,  iron,  diamonds,  tin,  and  antimony  are 
among  the  most  valuable.  Anthracite  coal  is  not  found 
in  the  country,  that  which  is  in  evidence  being  from  the 
tertiary  period.  Gold  is  everywhere,  but  thus  far  is  not 
found  in  sufficient  quantity  to  pay.  Formerly  the  na- 
tives of  the  up|)cr  Kotawaringin  district  had  to  pay  the 
Sultan  gold  as  a  tax.  A  mining  engineer  told  me  that  in 
Martapura,  the  principal  diamond-field,  one  may  find 
gold,  platinum,  and  diamonds  while  washing  one  pan. 

The  total  i)opulation  of  the  island  is  probably  3,000,- 


IN  THE  JUNCLE  OF  SOUTHERN"  RORXEO,  XEAR  THE  SAMPIT  RIVER 


itKlll/.A) 


rhotofraphftl  in  Sciuihrm  B«hiko 


CLIMATE  AND   BIOLOGICAL  CONDITIONS     17 

000.  As  regards  the  South  and  Eastern  Division  of 
Dutch  Borneo — roughly  half  of  the  island — to  which  my 
travels  were  confined,  the  census  returns  of  1914  give  in 
round  figures  a  total  of  906,000  people,  of  whom  800  are 
Europeans  (470  men  and  330  women),  86,000  Chinese, 
817,000  Dayaks  and  Malays,  and  2,650  Arabs  and  other 
aliens.  Of  these  peoples  no  less  than  600,000  live  in  a 
comparatively  small  area  of  the  southeast,  the  districts 
of  Oeloc  Soengei  and  Bandjermasin.  These  are  nearly 
all  Malays,  only  4,000  or  5,000  being  Dayaks,  who  proba- 
bly do  not  form  the  majority  of  the  217,000  that  make 
up  the  remainder  of  the  native  population  of  the  Division. 

On  account  of  the  small  white  population  and  insufl[i- 
cient  means  of  communication,  which  is  nearly  all  by 
river,  the  natural  resources  of  Dutch  Borneo  are  still  in 
the  infancy  of  development.  The  petroleum  industry 
has  reached  important  proportions,  but  development  of 
the  mineral  wealth  has  hardly  begun.  In  1917  a  govern- 
ment commission,  having  the  location  of  iron  and  gold 
especially  in  view,  was  sent  to  explore  the  mineral  possi- 
bilities of  the  Schwaner  Mountains.  In  the  alluvial 
country  along  the  rivers  are  vast  future  possibilities  for 
rational  agriculture,  by  clearing  the  jungle  where  at 
present  the  Malays  and  Dayaks  pursue  their  primitive 
operations  of  planting  rice  in  holes  made  with  a  pointed 
stick. 

The  early  history  of  Borneo  is  obscure.  Nothing  in 
that  regard  can  be  learned  from  its  present  barbarous 
natives  who  have  no  written  records,  and  few  of  whom 
have  any  conception  of  the  island  as  a  geographical  unit. 


i8  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

Althougli  the  Chinese  had  early  knowledge  of,  and  deal- 
ings with,  Borneo,  there  seems  little  doubt  that  the 
country  was  first  colonised  by  Hindu  Javanese  from 
Modjopahit,  the  most  important  of  the  several  kingdoms 
which  Hindus  began  to  found  in  the  early  centuries  after 
Christ.  Modjopahit  enclosed  the  region  round  the 
present  Soerabaia  in  East  Java,  and  it  was  easy  to  reach 
Borneo  from  there,  to-day  distant  only  tv/enty-seven 
hours  by  steamer.  These  first  settlers  in  Borneo  pro- 
fessed Hinduism  and  to  some  extent  Buddhism.  They 
founded  several  small  kingdoms,  among  them  Bandjer- 
masin,  Pasir,  and  Kutei,  also  Brunei  on  the  north  coast. 
But  another  race  came,  the  Malays,  who  with  their  rov- 
ing disposition  extended  their  inHuence  in  the  coast 
countries  and  began  to  form  states.  Then  Islamism 
appeared  in  the  Orient  and  changed  conditions.  Arabs, 
sword  in  hand,  converted  Java,  and  as  far  as  they  could, 
destroyed  temples,  monuments,  and  statues.  The  Ma- 
lays, too,  became  Mohammedans  and  the  sway  of  Islam 
spread  more  or  less  over  the  whole  Malay  Archipelago. 
With  the  fall  of  Modjopahit  in  1478  the  last  vestige  of 
Hindu  Javanese  influence  in  Borneo  disappeared. 

The  Malays  established  sultanates  with  the  same  kind 
of  government  that  is  habitual  with  Mohammedans,  based 
on  oppression  of  the  natives  by  the  levying  of  tribute  with 
the  complement  of  strife,  intrigue,  and  non-progress. 
In  the  course  of  time  the  Malays  have  not  only  absorbed 
the  Hindu  Javanese,  but  also  largely  the  Bugis,  who  had 
founded  a  state  on  the  west  coast,  and  in  our  time  they 
are  gradually  pushing  back  the  Dayaks  and  slowly  but 


HISTORY  OF   BORNEO  19 

surely  absorbing  them.  The  Chinese  have  also  played  a 
prominent  part  in  the  colonisation  of  Borneo,  having  early 
developed  gold  and  diamond  mines  and  established  trade, 
and  though  at  times  they  have  been  unruly,  they  are  to- 
day an  element  much  appreciated  by  the  Dutch  in  the 
development  of  the  country. 

As  regards  the  time  when  European  influence  appeared 
in  Borneo,  the  small  sultanate  of  Brunei  in  the  north  was 
the  first  to  come  in  contact  with  Europeans.  Pigafetta, 
with  the  survivors  of  Magellan's  expedition,  arrived  here 
from  the  Moluccas  in  1521,  and  was  the  first  to  give  an 
account  of  it  to  the  Western  world.  He  calls  it  **  Bornei," 
which  later,  with  a  slight  change,  became  the  name  of  the 
whole  island.  The  ever-present  Portuguese  early  estab- 
lished trade  relations  with  the  sultanate.  Since  the  Na- 
poleonic wars,  when  the  East  Indian  colonies  were  re- 
turned to  Holland,  the  Dutch  have  gradually  extended 
their  rule  in  Borneo  to  include  two-thirds  of  the  island. 
In  the  remainder  the  British  have  consolidated  their  in- 
terests, and  in  1906,  the  European  occupation  of  Borneo 
was  completed.  The  distribution  of  territory  has  roughly 
been  placed  thus:  Dutch  Borneo,  seventy  per  cent; 
Sarawak  and  Brunei,  twenty  per  cent;  British  North 
Borneo,  ten  per  cent. 

To  the  world  at  large  Borneo  is  probably  best  known 
through  the  romance  surrounding  the  name  of  James 
Brooke,  who  became  Raja  of  Sarawak,  in  1841.  His 
story  has  often  been  told,  but  a  brief  account  may  not 
be  out  of  place.  He  had  been  to  the  Far  East  and  its 
fascination,  together  with  an  impulse  to  benefit  the  na- 


20  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

tives,  drew  him  back  again.  After  resigning  his  com- 
mission in  the  army  of  the  British  East  India  Company, 
he  built  his  own  yacht  of  140  tons,  practised  his  crew  in 
the  Mediterranean  and  then  set  sail  for  the  Malay  Archi- 
pelago. In  his  Proposed  Exploring  Expedition  to  the 
Asiatic  Archipelago^  1838,  are  found  these  stirring  words 
which  strike  a  responsive  chord  in  the  heart  of  every  true 
explorer: 

"Imagination  whispers  to  ambition  that  there  are  yet  lands  un- 
known which  mipht  be  discovered.  Tell  me,  would  not  a  man's 
life  be  well  spent — tell  mc,  would  it  not  be  well  sacrificed  in  an 
endeavour  to  explore  these  regions  .?  When  I  think  of  dangers  and 
death  I  think  of  them  only  because  they  would  remove  me  from  such 
a  field  for  ambition,  for  energy,  and  for  knowledge."  * 

Mr,  Brooke  arrived  at  Sarawak  where  he  remained 
some  time,  surveying  the  coast  and  studying  the  people. 
In  those  days  Malay  pirates  rendered  the  country  danger- 
ous to  approach  and  several  ships  had  been  lost  and 
their  crews  murdered.  One  of  the  chronic  rebellions 
against  the  Sultan  of  Brunei  was  raging  at  the  time, 
and  Mr.  Brooke  was  asked  to  suppress  it,  was  made 
Raja,  and  defeated  the  rebels,  cleared  the  river  of  pirates 
and  established  order. 

Though  Mohammedan  laws  were  maintained  in  Sara- 
wak, the  worst  abuses  were  purged  out,  as  for  instance, 
the  death  penalty  for  conjugal  infidelity,  and  the  suffi- 
ciency of  a  fine  in  extenuation  of  a  murder.  As  for  the 
Dayaks  who  formerly  were  cheated  by  Malay  traders  and 
robbed  by  Malay  chiefs,  they  were  permitted  to  enjoy 
absolute  safety.     Both  Raja  Brooke  and  his  nephew,  who 

•  The  Expedition  to  Borneo  of  II.  M.  S.  "Dido"  for  the  Suppression  of 
Piracy,  by  Captain  H.  Kcppcl,  p.  374.     Harper's,  New  York,  1846. 


HISTORY  OF  BORNEO  21 

succeeded  him  in  the  same  spirit,  followed  the  poHcy  of 
making  use  of  the  natives  themselves  in  governing,  and 
Sarawak  to-day  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  a  country 
where  the  interests  of  the  natives  are  guarded  with  greater 
care  than  those  of  "  the  minority  of  superior  race."  Rest- 
ing on  the  good-will  of  the  natives  and  their  uplift,  the 
government  of  the  two  white  Rajas  has  been  remarkably 
successful. 

The  Dutch,  with  their  much  larger  possessions,  in  a 
similar  way  have  invoked  the  co-operation  of  the  native 
chiefs.  -  Their  government  is  also  largely  paternal,  which 
is  the  form  best  suited  to  the  circumstances.  The 
Malay  Sultans  maintain  power  under  Dutch  control 
and  receive  their  income  from  the  government,  which  has 
abolished  many  abuses.  As  for  the  pagan  tribes,  they  are 
treated  with  admirable  justice. 

Well  administered  by  Europeans  as  Borneo  undoubt- 
edly is,'  the  question  may  well  arise  as  to  whether  the 
natives  are  not  becoming  sufficiently  civilised  to  render 
purposeless  expeditions  to  study  them.  To  this  may  be 
answered  that  in  a  country  so  vast,  where  white  men  are 
comparatively  few  in  number,  the  aborigines  in  the  more 
remote  part  are  still  very  little  affected  by  outside  influ- 
ence. The  geographical  features  are  an  important  factor 
here.  In  the  immense  extent  of  forest  vegetation  which 
covers  the  land  from  the  sea  to  the  tops  of  the  mountains, 
the  rivers  are  the  only  highways,  and  in  their  upper 
courses,  on  account  of  rapids  and  waterfalls,  travel  is 
difficult  and  often  dangerous.  Although  in  the  last 
quarter  of  a  century  much  has  been  accomplished  by 
ethnology,  still  for  years  to  come  Borneo,  especially  the 


22  THROrCH   CF.NTRAl.    BORNEO 

Dutch  parr  of  it,  will  remain  a  prolific  field  for  research. 
The  tribes  are  ditricult  to  classify,  and  in  Dutch  Borneo 
undoubtedly  additional  jjiroup*^  arc  to  be  found.  The 
Muruts  in  the  north,  who  use  irrigation  in  their  rice 
culture  and  show  physical  differences  from  the  others, 
are  still  little  known.  Many  tribes  in  Dutch  Borneo 
have  never  been  studied.  So  recently  as  1913  Mr. 
Harry  C.  Raven,  an  American  zoological  collector,  in 
crossing  the  peninsula  that  springs  forth  on  the  east 
coast  about  i^  N.L.,  came  across  natives,  of  the  Basap 
tribe,  who  had  not  before  been  in  contact  with  whites. 
The  problem  of  the  Indonesians  is  far  from  solved,  nor 
is  it  known  who  the  original  inhabitants  of  Borneo  were, 
Negritos  or  others,  and  what  role,  if  any,  the  ancestors  of 
the  Polynesians  played  remains  to  be  discovered. 

The  generally  accepted  idea  has  been  that  the  Malays 
inhabit  the  coasts  and  the  Dayaks  the  interior.  This  is 
not  strictly  correct  because  the  racial  problems  of  the 
island  are  much  more  complicated.  Doctor  A.  C.  Had- 
don  recognises  five  principal  groups  of  people  in  Sarawak, 
Punan,  Kenyah-Kayan,  Iban  or  Sea  Dayak,  Malay,  and 
the  remaining  tribes  he  com[)rchends  under  the  non- 
committal name  Klemantan.  lie  distinguishes  two  main 
races,  a  dolichocephalic  and  a  brachycephalic,  terming 
the  former  Indonesian,  the  latter  ProtoMalay. 

Doctor  A.  W.  Nieuwenhuis,  who  about  the  end  of  the 
last  century  made  important  researches  in  the  upper  parts 
of  the  Ka[)uas  and  Mahakani  Rivers  ;iiid  at  Apo  Kayan, 
found  the  Ot-Danum,  Bahau-Kenyah,  and  Punan  to  be 
three  distinct  groups  of  that  region.  Doctor  Kohlbrugge 
and  Doctor  Iladdon  consider  the  Ot-Dinunis  as  Indone- 


ETHNOLOGICAL  SURVEY  23 

sians,  to  whom  the  former  also  consigns  the  Kayans  and 
the  Punans.*  Doctors  Hose  and  McDougall,  who  in  their 
Pagan  Tribes  of  Borneo  have  contributed  much  to  the 
ethnology  of  the  island,  have  convincingly  shown  that 
the  Ibans  (Sea  Dayaks)  are  recent  immigrants,  probably 
of  only  two  hundred  years  ago,  from  Sumatra,  and  are 
Proto-Malays.  They  hold  the  view  that  the  Kayans 
have  imparted  to  the  Kenyahs  and  other  tribes  the  ''prin- 
cipal elements  of  the  peculiar  culture  which  they  now 
have  in  common." 

The  Malays  undoubtedly  were  the  first  to  employ 
the  word  Dayak  as  a  designation  for  the  native  tribes 
except  the  nomadic,  and  in  this  they  have  been  followed 
by  both  the  Dutch  and  the  British.  The  word,  which 
makes  its  appearance  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  is  derived  from  a  Sarawak  word,  dayah,  man, 
and  is  therefore,  as  Ling  Roth  says,  a  generic  term  for 
man.  The  tribes  do  not  call  themselves  Dayaks,  and  to 
use  the  designation  as  an  anthropological  descriptive  is  an 
inadmissible  generalisation.  Nevertheless,  in  the  general 
conception  the  word  has  come  to  mean  all  the  natives  of 
Borneo  except  the  Malays  and  the  nomadic  peoples,  in 
the  same  way  as  American  Indian  stands  for  the  multi- 
tude of  tribes  distributed  over  a  continent.  In  this 
sense,  for  the  sake  of  convenience,  I  shall  myself  use  the 
word,  but  to  apply  it  indiscriminately  to  anthropological 
matters  is  as  unsatisfactory  as  if  one  should  describe  a 
certain  tribe  in  the  new  world  merely  as  American  Indian. 

*  Quoted  from  Pagan  Tribes  in  Borneo,  II,  p.  316 


CHAPTER   III 

RANDJERMASIN,  THE  PRINCirAL  TOWN  IN  DUTCH  BORNEO — 
NORTHWARD  ALONG  THE  EAST  COAST — BALIK  PAPAN, 
AN  OIL  PRODUCING  CENTRE — SAMARINDA — TANDJONG 
SELOR — THE  SULTAN — UP  THE   K.\YAN  RIVER 

Fifty  miles  from  land  the  sea  assumes  a  different  as- 
pect through  the  fresh  water  of  the  great  Barito  flowing 
on  the  surface.  Its  red  hue  is  produced  by  particles  of 
soil  brought  from  the  inland  of  Borneo,  In  the  beginning 
of  December  I  arrived  at  Bandjermasin,  the  principal 
town  in  Dutch  Borneo,  inhabited  for  the  most  part  by 
Malays  and  Chinese.  It  is  the  seat  of  the  Resident  of  the 
vast  South  and  Eastern  Division  and  has  a  garrison.  The 
sea  loudly  announces  its  presence  here,  the  tide  overflow- 
ing much  of  the  low  ground,  hence  the  Malay  name, 
bandjir  =  overflow y  mdsin  =  s:i\t  water.  Large  clumps 
of  a  peculiar  water-plant  float  on  the  river  in  Bandjer- 
masin in  great  numbers,  passing  downward  with  the  cur- 
rent, upward  with  the  tide,  producing  a  singular,  but 
pleasing  sight.  It  is  originally  a  native  of  America  and 
has  attractive  light-blue  flowers,  but  multiplies  to  such 
an  extent  that  the  growth  finally  may  interfere  with 
traflic.  In  India  I  saw  a  lagoon  completely  choked  with 
it. 

There  is  one  hotel  where  the  table  is  fair  and  the  beds 
are  clean,  but  blankets  are  considered  unnecessary,  and 
only  sheets  are  provided.  The  climate  was  not  as  hot  as 
I  expected,  nights  and  mornings  being  surprisingly  cool. 

34 


BANDJERMASIN  25 

Early  in  July  of  the  following  year  the  morning  tempera- 
ture was  about  73°  F.  (23°  C.)-  Malaria  is  rare  here,  but 
there  are  frequent  indications  of  beri-beri. 

Friends  invited  me  to  go  on  an  excursion  to  a  small 
island,  Kambang,  where  there  are  a  number  of  monkeys  to 
whom  Malays  who  desire  children  sacrifice  food.  On  our 
arrival  the  animals  came  to  meet  us  in  a  way  that  was 
almost  uncanny,  running  like  big  rats  in  the  tall  grass  on 
the  muddy  beach.  Many  remnants  of  sacrificial  offerings 
were  strewn  about. 

Two  years  later  I  was  again  in  Bandjermasin,  when 
an  elderly  American  and  his  wife  appeared  upon  the 
scene — tourists,  by  the  way,  being  very  unusual  here.  At 
the  breakfast  table  they  asked  a  young  Dutchman  the 
whereabouts  of  the  church  and  museum,  and  he  replied 
that  he  did  not  think  there  was  either  in  the  town.  As  a 
matter  of  fact  there  is  a  small  wooden  Dutch  church  hid- 
den away  in  a  back  street.  Moreover,  in  19 14  the  Resi- 
dent, who  at  that  time  was  Mr.  L.  F.  J.  Rijckmans,  had  a 
house  built,  in  Malay  style  of  architecture,  for  the  safe- 
keeping of  Bornean  industrial  and  ethnological  objects 
which  had  been  on  view  at  the  exhibition  at  Samarang  in 
Java,  thus  forming  the  nucleus  of  a  museum  which  at  some 
future  time  may  be  successfully  developed.  The  Kaha- 
yan  Dayaks,  not  far  away  to  the  north,  make  exquisite 
cigar-cases  from  rattan,  while  the  Bugis  weave  attractive 
cotton  goods,  resembling  silk,  with  an  original  and 
pleasing  colour  combination. 

The  Europeans  have  a  lawn-tennis  court  where  they 
usually  play  every  afternoon.     In  Bandjermasin  is  the 


26  'IHRorCII   CKNTRAL    lK)RNEO 

headquarters  of  a  German  missionary  society  whose 
activities  are  confined  mainly  to  the  Kahayan  River. 
They  are  Protestants  and  worked  for  a  great  number  of 
years  without  making  any  noteworthy  impression  on  the 
natives,  but  of  late  years  they  have  been  more  successful. 
Catholics,  who  came  later,  have  a  station  on  the  Mahakam 
River.  The  government  wisely  has  separated  Protestant 
and  Catholic  missionary  activities,  restricting  the  former 
to  the  southern  part  of  the  country,  the  latter  to  the 
northern. 

There  is  no  difficulty  about  getting  up  along  the  east 
coast  northward  as  far  as  the  Bulungan,  which  was  my 
immediate  aim.  The  Royal  Dutch  Packet  Boat  Com- 
pany adheres  to  a  schedule  of  regular  fortnightly  steam- 
ship connection.  On  the  way  a  stop  is  made  at  Balik 
Papan,  the  great  oil-producing  centre,  with  its  numerous 
and  well-appointed  tanks  and  modern  equipment,  re- 
minding one  of  a  thriving  town  in  America.  One  of  the 
doctors  in  this  prosperous  place  told  me  that  his  two  chil- 
dren of  four  and  six  years  enjoyed  excellent  health. 
Dysentery  was  prevalent  among  the  coolies,  and  occa- 
sionally cases  of  malaria  occurred,  hut  malaria  is  found 
even  in  Holland,  he  added. 

As  we  sailed  up  the  Kutei  River  in  the  early  morning, 
approaching  Samarinda,  an  attractive  scene  presented 
itself.  Absolute  calm  and  peace  reigned,  a  slight  morning 
mist  rising  here  and  there  before  us  and  giving  a  touch  of 
charm  to  the  vista  of  modest  white  houses  that  stretched 
along  the  beach  in  their  tropical  surroundings.  Sama- 
rinda lies  almost  on  the  ecjuator,  but  nights  and  mornings 


3  o 
5  w 


-  :3 

a:   < 


ALONG  THE   EAST  COAST  27 

are  always  cool,  even  to  a  greater  degree  than  in  Bandjer- 
masln.  Northeast  Borneo  and  North  Celebes  have  a 
comparatively  cool  climate,  but  from  Samarinda  south- 
ward it  is  warmer.  I  called  on  the  assistant  Resident,  in 
whose  office  a  beautiful  blue  water-rail,  with  a  red  head, 
walked  unconcernedly  about.  He  advised  me  that  this 
was  the  worst  time  for  travelling,  when  the  northwest 
monsoons,  which  are  accompanied  by  much  rain,  are 
blowing. 

The  peace  and  contentment  among  the  natives  here, 
mostly  Malays,  impresses  one  favourably.  They  are  all 
very  fond  of  their  children  and  take  good  care  of  them. 
The  crying  of  children  is  a  sound  that  is  rarely  heard. 
It  was  my  fortune  to  travel  over  two  years  in  the  Dutch 
Indies;  it  is  gratifying  to  state  that  during  that  time  I 
never  saw  a  native  drunk,  cither  in  Java  or  Borneo.  My 
visits  did  not  extend  to  the  Muruts  in  the  north  of 
Borneo,  who  are  known  to  indulge  excessively  in  native 
rice  brandy.  Nor  was  I  present  at  any  harvest  feast,  but 
according  to  reliable  report,  "strong  drink  is  seldom  or 
never  abused"  by  the  tribes  of  Borneo.  The  Muruts 
and  the  Ibans  are  the  exceptions. 

Two  days  later,  among  mighty  forests  of  nipa-palms, 
we  sailed  up  the  Kayan  or  Bulungan  River  and  arrived 
at  Tandjong  Selor,  a  small  town  populated  by  Malays 
and  Chinese,  the  number  of  Europeans  being  usually 
limited  to  two,  the  controleur  and  the  custom-house 
manager.  It  lies  in  a  flat  swampy  country  and  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river,  which  here  is  600  metres  wide, 
lives  the  Sultan  of  Bulungan.     I  secured  a  large  room  in 


28  THROUGH   CENTRAL    BORNEO 

a  house  which  \\:u\  just  been  rented  by  two  Japanese  who 
were  representatives  of  a  lumber  company,  and  had  come 
to  arrange  for  the  export  of  hardwood  from  this  part 
of  Borneo. 

Accompanied  by  tlic  controleur,  Mr.  R.  Schreuilcr,  I 
went  to  call  on  the  Sultan.  I  le  was  a  man  of  about  thirty- 
five  years,  rather  prepossessing  in  appearance,  and  proud 
of  his  ancestry,  although  time  has  so  effaced  his  Dayak 
characteristics  that  he  looks  like  a  Malay.  Dato  Mansur, 
his  executive,  met  us  at  the  landing  and  escorted  us  into 
the  presence  of  the  Sultan  and  his  wife,  where  we  were 
offered  soda-water  and  whiskey,  and  we  remained  an 
hour.  They  are  both  likeable,  but  the  Sultan  appears 
rather  nervous  and  frail,  and  it  is  rumoured  that  his 
health  has  suffered  as  a  result  of  overindulgence  in 
spiritualistic  seances.  He  gave  an  entertaining  account 
of  natives  living  in  the  trees  on  the  Malinau  River.  As  it 
had  been  impossible  for  me  to  obtain  cartridges  for 
my  Winchester  rifle,  the  Sultan  was  kind  enough  to  lend 
me  one  of  his  before  wc  parted,  as  well  as  two  hundred 
cartridges.  He  also  obligingly  sent  Dato  Mansur  up  the 
river  to  Kaburau,  the  princi|)al  Kayan  kampong  (village) 
to  secure  men  and  boats  for  an  intended  expedition  inland 
from  there. 

The  main  business  of  Tandjong  Selor,  as  everywhere 
in  Borneo,  is  buying  rattan,  rubber,  and  damar  (a  kind 
of  resin)  from  the  Malays  and  tiic  I);iyaks,  and  shipping 
it  by  steamer  to  Singapore.  As  usual,  trade  is  almost 
entirely  in  the  hands  of  the  Chinese.  The  great  event 
of  the  place  is  the  arriv.il  of  the  steamer  twice  a  month. 


IN  TANDJONG  SELOR  29 

When  the  whistle  is  heard  from  down  the  river  a  great 
yell  arises  from  all  over  the  town.  The  steamer  is  com- 
ing !  People  by  the  hundreds  run  down  to  the  wharf 
amid  great  excitement  and  joy.  Many  Malays  do  not 
work  except  on  these  occasions,  when  they  are  engaged 
in  loading  and  unloading.  The  principal  Chinese  mer- 
chant there,  Hong  Seng,  began  his  career  as  a  coolie  on 
the  wharf.  He  has  a  fairly  well-stocked  store  with  some 
European  and  American  preserved  articles,  and  was  re- 
liable in  his  dealings,  as  the  Chinese  always  are.  He  was 
rich  enough  to  have  of  late  taken  to  himself  a  young  wife, 
besides  keeping  his  first  one.  His  two  young  sons  who 
assisted  him  had  been  at  school  in  Singapore,  and  were 
proud  to  air  their  knowledge  of  English. 

The  house  where  I  lived  was  on  the  main  street,  on  the 
river  bank,  and  in  the  evening  the  little  shops  on  either 
side  started  playing  nasty,  cheap  European  phonographs 
the  noise  of  which  was  most  disagreeable.  Most  of  the 
records  were  of  Chinese  music,  the  harsh  quality  of  which 
was  magnified  tenfold  by  the  imperfections  of  the  instru- 
ments. When  the  nerve-wracking  concert  became  in- 
tolerable, they  were  always  good  enough  to  stop  it  at  my 
request. 

However,  there  was  one  feature  about  this  remote 
place  which  was  repugnant — the  prevalent  flogging  of  chil- 
dren with  rattan,  mostly  among  the  Mohammedan 
Malays.  Not  a  day  passed  without  wails  and  violent 
cries  arising  in  some  part  of  the  town,  especially  during 
the  forenoon,  although  I  did  not  perceive  that  the  children 
here  were  more  incorrigible  than  elsewhere.     The  Dayaks 


30  'HlROlc;H   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

never  beat  their  children,  and  later  I  did  not  observe 
similar  cruelty  among  Malays.  Wise  though  King 
Solomon  was,  his  precept  not  to  spare  the  rod  should  be 
regarded  in  the  light  of  his  large  family,  "700  wives,  prin- 
cesses, and  300  concubines."  Even  in  the  training  of 
animals,  better  results  are  obtained  by  omitting  the  lash. 

In  the  beginning  of  January,  1914,  I  was  able  to  start 
for  Kaburau.  Ihc  controleur  courteously  provided  for 
my  use  the  government's  steamship  Sophia,  which  in  six 
hours  approached  within  easy  distance  of  the  kampong. 
My  party  consisted  of  Ah  Sewcy,  a  young  Chinese 
photographer  from  Singajiore  whom  I  had  engaged  for 
developing  plates  and  films,  also  Chonggat,  a  Sarawak 
Dayak  who  had  had  his  training  at  the  museum  of  Kuala 
Lampur  in  the  Malay  Peninsula.  Finally,  CJo  Hong 
Cheng,  a  Chinese  trader,  acted  as  interpreter  and  man- 
dur  (overseer).  He  spoke  several  Dayak  dialects,  but  not 
Dutch,  still  less  English,  for  Malay  is  the  lingua  franca  of 
the  Dutch  Indies  as  well  as  of  the  Malay  Peninsula.  As 
we  anchored  for  the  night  I  heard  for  the  first  time,  from 
the  hills  that  rose  near  by,  the  loud  defiant  cry  of  the  argus 
pheasant.  How  wildly  weird  it  scnmds  on  a  quiet  eve- 
ning ! 

The  next  morning  the  Kayans  met  us  with  boats  to 
take  us  up  to  their  kampong,  Kaburau.  Some  women 
were  pounding  paddi  (rice)  under  the  large  communal 
house  which,  in  accordance  with  the  i  ustoni  of  the  coun- 
try, was  raised  from  tlic  ground  on  posts.  Dogs  were 
much  in  evidence,  both  on  the  ground  below  and  on  the 
gallery  of  the  house  above.      The  canine  species  kept  by 


VISIT  TO  KABURAU  ^i 

the  Dayaks  have  erect  ears,  are  rather  small  and  their 
colour  is  usually  dull  yellow.  Here  they  were  variously 
coloured,  some  entirely  black,  and  fights  among  them  were 
of  frequent  occurrence.  Ascending  the  ladder  I  found  a 
large  tame  bird  of  the  stork  family  chained  to  the  gal- 
lery, for  the  Dayaks  often  keep  birds  and  animals  in  their 
houses. 

The  chief  very  hospitably  had  prepared  one  room  for 
all  four  of  us  to  lodge  in,  which  did  not  exactly  suit  me, 
as  I  like  to  have  a  place  where  at  times  I  may  be  chez  moi, 
for  the  night  at  least.  There  was  no  suitable  place  out- 
side for  my  tent,  so  I  decided  to  paddle  a  few  hundred 
kilometres  up  the  river  to  a  dilapidated  camping-house 
for  travellers,  put  up  by  the  Dayaks  under  government 
order.  Such  a  house  is  called  pasang-grahan  and  may  be 
found  in  many  out-of-the-way  places  in  Borneo. 

Though  generally  crude  and  unpretentious  huts  where 
travelling  soldiers  or  Malays  put  up,  these  shelters  are 
very  useful,  especially  for  the  night.  There  is  another 
kind  of  pasang-grahan,  comfortable  structures  provided 
with  beds,  similar  to  the  rest-houses  in  India.  In  the 
more  civilised  parts  these  are  built  for  the  use  of  officials 
and  other  travellers.  The  one  referred  to  had  roof  and 
walls  of  palm  leaves,  and  as  a  matter  of  course,  stood  on 
piles.  Though  said  to  be  only  three  years  old  it  was 
already  very  shaky;  still  after  clearing  away  the  grass 
and  some  of  the  jungle  next  to  it,  we  established  quite  a 
comfortable  camp. 

Chonggat  brought  in  a  number  of  birds  and  animals 
here,  among  them  the  lovely  raja  bird,  snow-white  except 


32  THROrCH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

for  the  deep  blue  head,  and  with  a  very  long  graceful  tail. 
It  is  also  called  paradise  flycatcher  {Urpsi phone) y  and  is 
found  from  Sumatra  up  into  middle  China.  In  Borneo 
it  is  quite  common,  being  observed  also  on  the  Mahakam 
in  the  central  part  of  the  island.  According  to  the  legend, 
it  formerly  cost  a  man  his  life  to  kill  it.  This  man  soon 
showed  himself  to  be  an  excellent  worker  who  took  his 
business  very  seriously  and  did  not  allow  himself  to  be 
distracted  when  I  amused  visiting  Kayans  with  simple 
moving  j^ictures  and  by  playing  a  music-box.  The  jun- 
gle, dripping  with  dew  in  the  early  morning,  did  not  deter 
him,  and  at  night  it  was  his  custom  to  shoot  owls  and  hunt 
for  deer  or  other  animals.  After  arranging  his  tent  with 
little  or  no  help  from  the  Dayaks,  he  would  next  put  up 
a  frame-work  on  which  to  dry  his  skins,  under  a  roof  of 
palm  leaves;  here  a  fire  was  always  kept,  without  which 
the  skins  would  have  spoiled  in  that  damp  cli/nate. 
Chonggat  had  a  fine  physique,  was  always  pleasant  and 
willing  and  was  possessed  of  more  than  ordinary  intelli- 
gence withal.  Also  keenly  humourous,  he  enjoyed  my 
initial  mistakes  in  Malay,  though  maintaining  a  proper 
respect  for  the  leader  of  the  expedition. 

In  the  evening,  having  retired  for  the  day,  he,  as  well 
as  the  Chinese  photographer  could  be  heard  in  their 
respective  tents  studying  English  from  small  guide- 
books which  they  had  brought  along.  He  told  me  that 
his  earnings  were  invested  in  a  sm.ill  rubber  plantation 
which  he  and  his  brothers  worked  togctluT.  Chonggat 
was  a  good  example  of  what  a  native  of  Borneo  can  ac- 
complish under  proper  civilizing  influences. 


VISIT  TO   KABURAU  33 

One  morning  he  brought  in  a  king  cobra  {naia  bunga- 
rus)  which  he  had  shot,  and  as  life  was  not  yet  extinct  I 
got  a  good  photograph  of  it.  This  serpent  was  about 
three  metres  long,  but  these  very  poisonous  snakes,  called 
ular  tadong  by  the  Malays,  attain  a  length  of  seven 
metres.  They  are  beautifully  formed  for  quick  move- 
ment, and  will  attack  human  beings,  the  female  being 
particularly  vicious  when  it  has  eggs.  "When  I  see  ular 
tadong  coming  toward  me,"  said  Chonggat,  who  was  no 
coward,  "then  I  run."  There  are  several  species  of  very 
poisonous  snakes  in  Borneo,  but  according  to  my  experi- 
ence they  are  not  very  numerous.  Two  small  ones,  about 
thirty-five  centimetres  long,  are  the  most  common  varie- 
ties encountered  in  the  jungle.  They  are  sluggish  and 
somewhat  similar  in  appearance,  dark  brown  and  red 
being  the  principal  colours.  One  of  them  has  its  under 
side  decorated  with  transverse  sections  of  beautiful  scar- 
let alternating  with  black. 

Ah  Sewey,  the  photographer,  was  also  an  efficient  man, 
but  at  first  we  had  immense  difficulty  with  the  develop- 
ing. One  cannot  count  on  water  cooler  than  75°  F.,  and 
at  that  temperature  the  films  come  out  well,  but  in  the 
beginning  many  plates  were  spoiled.  For  the  photog- 
rapher in  the  tropics  the  use  of  formalin  is  an  absolute 
necessity.  He  must  also  face  other  difficulties,  avoiding 
among  other  things  the  possibility  of  having  his  films, 
when  drying,  eaten  by  small  species  of  grasshoppers. 


CHAPTER   IV 

AN  EXPFDITION  INTO  THH  JUNGLE — FIRST  IMPRKSSIONS  — 
RAPID  CHANGE  IN  THE  DENSENESS  OF  VEGETATION  — 
ANIMAL  LIFE — A  STUBBORN    KI(;HT 

About  the  mickllc  of  January,  I  hcpan  an  expedition 
into  the  utan,  as  the  Mahiys  call  the  great  jungles  of 
Borneo,  first  going  up  the  river  half  a  day  nnd  from 
there  striking  inland  toward  the  north.  If  circumstances 
proved  favourable,  I  intended  to  travel  as  far  as  Bengara, 
about  twelve  days'  trip  for  a  Dayak  with  a  light  burden 
to  carry.  In  case  of  unfavourable  weather  and  ttxi 
much  delay  in  getting  fresh  provisions,  I  felt  that  I  should 
be  satisfied  in  penetrating  well  into  a  region  not  before 
visited  by  wliitcs,  where  I  might  succeed  in  coming  into 
contact  with  the  shy  nomads,  called  Punans,  known  to 
roam  there  in  limited  numbers.  To  this  end  I  had  taken 
along  one  of  the  Sultan's  petty  officials,  a  so-called  raja, 
who  exercised  more  or  less  control  over  the  Punans.  This 
man,  evidently  half  Malay  and  half  Dayak,  and  as  nude 
as  the  rest,  demanded  to  be  waited  upon  by  the  other 
natives,  who  even  had  to  put  up  his  hair.  He  was 
lazy;  he  would  not  be  a  raja  if  he  were  not.  If  he  were 
on  the  move  one  day,  he  would  siccj)  most  of  the 
next. 

Among  my  twenty-two  Kayans  was  an  efficient  and 
reliable  man  c  ailed  Banglan,  the  sub-chief  of  Kaburau, 
who  was  alert  antl  intelligent.     He  had  only  one  hand, 

34 


EXPEDITION   INTO  THE  JUNGLE  35 

the  result  of  a  valorous  fight  with  a  crocodile,  by  which 
his  prahu  (native  boat)  had  been  attacked  one  day  at  dawn 
in  a  small  tributary  of  the  river.  The  animal  actually 
upset  the  prahu  and  killed  his  two  companions,  in  trying 
to  save  whom  with  no  weapon  but  his  bare  hands,  he 
lost  one  in  the  struggle.  In  their  contact  with  the  croco- 
diles the  Dayaks  show  a  fortitude  almost  beyond  belief. 
A  Dutch  doctor  once  treated  a  man  who  had  been  dragged 
under  water,  but  had  the  presence  of  mind  to  press  a 
thumb  into  each  eye  of  the  reptile.  He  was  badly  man- 
gled, but  recovered. 

As  long  as  we  remained  at  a  low  altitude  camping  out 
was  not  an  unalloyed  pleasure,  because  the  tormenting 
gnats  were  exasperating,  and  at  night  the  humidity  was 
great,  making  the  bed  and  everything  else  damp.  The 
atmosphere  was  heavy  and  filled  with  the  odor  of  decay- 
ing vegetable  matter  never  before  disturbed.  In  the 
morning  at  five  o'clock,  my  hour  for  rising,  there  was  con- 
siderable chill  in  the  air.  It  was  difficult  to  see  a  star 
here  and  there  through  the  tall  trees  and  dense  under- 
growth that  surrounded  us  as  closely  as  the  walls  of  a 
cave. 

The  stagnant  atmosphere  and  dark  environment, 
which  the  sun's  rays  vainly  attempted  to  penetrate,  began 
to  have  a  depressing  effect  on  my  spirits.  After  a  couple 
of  nights  spent  thus,  a  longing  for  sunshine  came  over  me 
and  I  decided  to  stay  one  day,  make  a  clearing,  dry  our 
belongings,  and  put  up  a  shelter  in  which  to  leave  some  of 
our  baggage;  all  of  which  could  not  be  carried  up  the 
hills. 


36  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

I  told  the  raja  and  Banglan  that  I  wanted  the  sun  to 
shine  into  the  camp,  and  the  men  immediately  set  to  work 
with  cheerful  alacrity.  The  Dayaks  have  no  rivals  in 
their  ability  to  make  a  tree  fall  in  the  desired  direction. 
First,  by  carefully  sigliting  the  trunk,  they  ascertain 
the  most  feasible  way  for  the  tree  to  fall,  then  they  chop 
at  the  base  with  native  axes,  sometimes  four  men  working, 
two  and  two  in  unison.  In  a  remarkably  brief  time  it 
begins  to  weaken,  the  top  making  slight  forward  move- 
ments which  are  followed  by  a  final  sharp  report  an- 
nouncing the  end  of  their  labour. 

Quickly  noting  that  they  were  masters  in  their  craft, 
I  permitted  them  to  fell  forest  giants  in  close  proximity 
to  our  tents,  some  of  which  landed  but  half  a  metre  dis- 
tant. Immense  specimens  in  their  fall  brought  down 
thickets  of  creepers  and  smaller  growths  which  produced 
big  openings,  so  we  succeeded  in  making  quite  a  sunny 
camp  in  the  dark  jungle. 

Since  that  experience  I  have  made  it  an  invariable 
rule  in  my  travels  to  cut  a  small  clearing  before  putting 
up  my  tent  in  the  jungle.  Sometimes  the  felling  of  one 
or  two  trees  will  ameliorate  the  situation  immeasurably, 
admitting  fresh  air  and  sunlight,  and  there  is  little  diffi- 
culty about  it  when  one  is  accompanied  by  such  able  and 
willing  men  as  the  Dayaks.  For  their  own  use  when 
travelling  they  make  simple  shelters  as  night  approaches, 
because  they  dislike  to  get  wet.  The  material  is  always 
close  at  hand.  Slender  straight  poles  are  quickly  cut  and 
brought  in  to  make  frame-work  for  a  shed,  the  floor  of 
which  is  about   half  .i   metre  above  ground.     The  roof 


EXPEDITION   INTO  THE  JUNGLE  37 

is  made  of  big  leaves,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  they  are 
comfortably  at  home  in  one  or  more  sheds,  grouped 
around  fires  on  the  flimsy  floor. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  one  can  always  manage  to 
make  a  fire  in  these  damp  woods;  a  petroleum  burner  is 
not  essential.  The  natives  always  know  where  to  go  to 
find  something  dry  that  will  burn;  as  for  the  white  man's 
cook,  he  usually  improves  upon  the  situation  by  soaking 
the  wood  in  petroleum,  which  is  one  of  the  valuable 
articles  of  equipment.  Often  in  the  jungle,  when  slightly 
preparing  the  ground  for  erecting  the  tent,  phosphorescent 
lights  from  decayed  vegetable  matter  shone  in  innumera- 
ble spots,  as  if  a  powerful  lamp  were  throwing  its  light 
through  a  grating. 

In  ascending  the  hills  it  was  surprising  how  soon  the 
aspect  of  the  vegetation  changed.  The  camp  we  were 
just  leaving  was  only  about  a  metre  above  the  Kayan 
River,  so  we  probably  were  not  more  than  twenty-odd 
metres  above  sea-level.  Twenty  metres  more,  and  the 
jungle  vegetation  was  thinner  even  at  that  short  distance. 
Trees,  some  of  them  magnificent  specimens  of  hard  wood, 
began  to  assert  themselves.  Above  100  metres  elevation  it 
was  not  at  all  diflficult  to  make  one's  way  through  the 
jungle,  even  if  we  had  not  had  a  slight  Punan  path  to 
follow.  It  is  easier  than  to  ascend  the  coast  range  of 
northeast  Queensland  under  18°  S.L.,  where  the  lawyer 
palms  are  very  troublesome.  Making  a  light  clearing 
one  evening  we  opened  the  view  to  a  couple  of  tall  trees 
called  in  Malay,  palapak,  raising  their  crowns  high  above 
the  rest;  this  is  one  of  the  trees  from  which  the  natives 


38       THROrr.H  CENTRAL  BORNEO 

make  their  boats.      TIk-  trunk  is  very  tall  ami  nuich  thicker 
near  the  ground. 

Reaching  a  height  of  500  metres,  the  ground  began  to 
be  slipper)'  with  yellow  mud,  but  the  jungle  impeded  one 
less  than  the  thickets  around  Lenox,  Massachusetts,  in  the 
Ignited  States.  Toward  the  south  of  our  camp  here,  the 
hill  had  an  incline  of  45  degrees  or  less,  and  one  hard- 
wood tree  that  we  felled  travelled  downward  for  a  dis- 
tance of  150  metres.  A  pleasant  soft  breeze  blew  for 
about  ten  minutes,  for  the  first  time  on  our  journey,  and 
the  afternoon  was  wonderfully  cool. 

A  Kayan  messenger  here  arrived  from  the  kampong, 
bringing  a  package  which  contained  my  mail,  obligingly 
sent  me  by  the  controleur.  The  package  made  a  pro- 
found impression  on  the  Dayaks  as  well  as  on  the  Chinese 
interpreter,  all  of  whom  crowded  around  my  tent  to  ob- 
serve  what  would  follow.  I  went  elsewhere  for  a  little 
while,  but  it  was  of  no  avail.  They  were  waiting  to  see 
the  contents,  so  I  took  my  chair  outside,  opened  and  read 
my  mail,  closely  watched  all  the  time  by  a  wondering 
crowd. 

None  of  our  attendant  natives  had  been  in  this  part 
of  the  country  before  except  a  Punan,  now  adopted  into 
the  Kayan  tribe,  who  knew  it  long  ago  and  his  memory 
at  times  seemed  dimmed.  Fresh  tracks  of  rhinoceros  and 
bear  were  seen  and  tapirs  are  known  to  exist  among  these 
beautiful  wcK)ded  hilU.  Chonggat  succeeded  in  shooting 
an  exceedingly  rare  squirrel  with  a  large  bushy  tail.  We 
fmally  made  camp  on  top  of  a  hill  fyj^  metres  in  height 
which  we  called  kampong  Clunong. 


EXPEDITION  INTO  THE  JUNGLE  39 

The  Dayaks  helped  me  to  construct  a  small  shed  with 
a  fireplace  inside  where  I  could  dry  my  wet  clothing, 
towels,  etc.  Of  their  own  initiative  they  also  put  up 
around  the  tent  some  peculiar  Dayak  ornamentations  in 
the  shape  of  long  spirals  of  wood  shavings  hung  on  to  the 
end  of  poles  or  trees  which  they  planted  in  the  ground. 
The  same  kind  of  decorations  are  used  at  the  great  fes- 
tivals, and  when  a  gentle  wind  set  them  in  motion  they 
had  quite  a  cheerful,  almost  festive  appearance. 

Every  morning,  almost  punctually  at  five  o'clock,  the 
gibbons  or  long-armed,  man-like  apes,  began  their  loud 
chatter  in  the  tree-tops,  more  suggestive  of  the  calls  of 
birds  than  of  animals.  They  are  shy,  but  become  very 
tame  in  confinement  and  show  much  affection.  A  wah- 
wah,  as  the  animal  is  called  in  this  part  of  the  world,  will 
throw  his  arms  around  the  neck  of  his  master,  and  is  even 
more  human  in  his  behaviour  than  the  orang-utan,  from 
which  he  differs  in  temperament,  being  more  vivacious 
and  inclined  to  mischief.  In  a  kampong  I  once  saw  a 
young  gibbon  repeatedly  descend  into  a  narrow  inclosure 
to  tease  a  large  pig  confined  there.  The  latter,  although 
three  or  four  times  as  large,  seemed  entirely  at  his  mercy 
and  was  submissive  and  frightened,  even  when  his  ears 
were  pulled  by  the  wah-wah.  During  my  travels  in  the 
jungle  of  Borneo,  few  were  the  days  in  which  I  was  not 
summoned  to  rise  by  the  call  of  the  wah-wah,  well-nigh 
as  reliable  as  an  alarm  clock. 

My  stay  here  was  protracted  much  longer  than  I  ex- 
pected on  account  of  rain  and  fog,  which  rendered  photo- 
graphing  difficult;   one  or  the   other   prevailed   almost 


40  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNFIO 

continuously.  Frequently  sunlight  sccnicd  approaching, 
but  before  I  could  procure  and  arrange  my  camera  it  had 
vanished,  and  light  splashes  of  rain  sounded  on  my  tent. 
This  was  trying,  but  one  cannot  expect  every  advantage 
in  the  trc^pics,  which  are  so  beautiful  most  of  the  year  that 
I,  for  one,  gladly  put  up  with  the  discomforts  of  a  wet 
season. 

Rain-storms  came  from  the  north  and  northeast; 
frqm  our  high  point  of  view,  one  could  see  them  approach- 
ing and  hear  the  noise  of  the  rain  on  the  top  of  the  jungle 
manv  minutes  before  they  arrived.  A  few  times,  espe- 
cially at  night,  we  had  storms  that  lasted  for  hours,  reach- 
ing sometimes  a  velocity  of  eighty  kilometres  an  hour. 
The  trees  of  the  jungle  are  naturally  not  exposed  to  the 
force  of  the  wind,  standing  all  together,  so  those  surround- 
ing our  clearing  seemed  helpless,  deprived  of  their  usual 
support.  Some  smaller  ones,  apparently  of  soft  wood, 
which  had  been  left  on  the  clearing,  were  broken,  and  the 
green  leaves  went  flying  about.  On  one  occasion  at  dusk 
Banglan  stood  a  long  time  watching  for  any  suspicious- 
looking  tree  that  might  threaten  to  fall  over  the  camp. 
Torrents  of  rain  fell  during  the  night  and  we  could  barely 
keep  dry  within  our  tents.  The  rain  was  more  persistent 
here  in  the  vicinity  of  the  lower  Kayan  than  in  any  other 
part  of  Borneo  during  my  two  years  of  travel  through 
that  country. 

White-tailed,  wattled  pheasants  (lobiophasis),  rare  in 
the  museums,  were  very  numerous  here.  This  beautiful 
bird  hns  a  snow-white  tail  and  its  head  is  adorned  with 
four  cobalt-blue  appendages,  two  above  and  two  under- 


EXPEDITION  INTO  THE  JUNGLE  41 

neath  the  head.  The  Dayaks  caught  this  and  other  birds 
aHve  in  snares,  which  they  are  expert  in  constructing.  I 
kept  one  alive  for  many  days,  and  it  soon  became  tame. 
It  was  a  handsome,  brave  bird,  and  I  was  sorry  one  day 
to  find  it  dead  from  want  of  proper  nourishment,  the 
Dayaks  having  been  unable  to  find  suflficient  rain-worms 
for  it. 

The  beautiful  small  deer,  kidyang,  was  secured  several 
times.  Its  meat  is  the  best  of  all  game  in  Borneo,  al- 
though the  Kayans  look  upon  it  with  disfavour.  When 
making  new  fields  for  rice-planting,  if  such  an  animal 
should  appear,  the  ground  is  immediately  abandoned. 

Scarcely  fifty  metres  below  the  top  of  the  hill  was 
our  water  supply,  consisting  of  a  scanty  amount  of 
running  water,  which  stopped  now  and  then  to  form 
tiny  pools,  and  to  my  astonishment  the  Dayaks  one  day 
brought  from  these  some  very  small  fish  which  I  preserved 
in  alcohol.  Naturally  the  water  swells  much  in  time  of 
rain,  but  still  it  seems  odd  that  such  small  fish  could  reach 
so  high  a  point. 

Many  insects  were  about  at  night.  Longicornes 
scratched  underneath  my  bed,  and  moths  hovered  about 
my  American  hurricane  lamp  hanging  outside  the  tent- 
door.  Leeches  also  entered  the  tent  and  seemed  to  have 
a  predilection  for  the  tin  cans  in  which  my  provisions  and 
other  things  were  stored.  In  the  dim  lamplight  I  could 
sometimes  see  the  uncanny  shadows  of  their  bodies  on 
the  canvas,  raised  and  stretched  to  an  incredible  height, 
moving  their  upper  parts  quickly  to  all  sides  before  pro- 
ceeding on  their  "forward  march."     To  some  people,  my- 


42  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

self  included,  their  bite  is  poisonous,  and  on  the  lower  part 
of  the  legs  produces  wounds  that  may  take  weeks  to  cure. 

One  day  native  honey  was  brought  in,  which  had  been 
found  in  a  iiollow  tree.  It  was  sweet,  but  thin,  and  had 
no  pronounced  Havour.  A  few  minutes  after  the  honey 
had  been  left  on  a  plate  in  my  tent  there  arrived  a  number 
of  large  yellow  hornets,  quite  harmless  apparently,  but 
persevering  in  their  eagerness  to  feast  upon  the  honey. 
During  the  foggy  aftern(X)n  they  gathered  in  increased 
numbers  and  were  driven  off  with  dithculty.  Tiie  tem- 
porary removal  of  the  plate  failed  to  diminish  their  per- 
sistence until  finally,  at  dusk,  they  disappeared,  only  to 
return  again  in  the  morning,  bringing  others  much  larger 
in  size  and  more  vicious  in  aspect,  and  the  remaining  sweet 
was  consumed  with  incredible  rapidity;  in  less  than  two 
hours  a  considerable  quantity  of  the  honey  in  the  comb  as 
well  as  liquid  was  finished  by  no  great  number  of  hornets. 

Later  several  species  of  ants  found  their  way  into  my 
provision  boxes.  A  large  one,  dark-gray,  almost  black, 
in  colour,  more  than  a  centimetre  long,  was  very  fond  of 
sweet  things.  According  to  the  Malays,  if  irritated  it  is 
able  to  sting  painfully,  but  in  spite  of  its  formidable  ap- 
pearance it  is  timid  and  easily  turned  away,  so  for  a  long 
time  1  put  up  with  its  activities,  though  gradually  these 
ants  got  to  be  a  nuisance  by  walking  into  my  cup,  which 
they  sometimes  filled,  or  into  my  drinking-water.  An- 
other species,  much  smaller,  which  also  was  fond  of  sugar, 
pretended  to  be  dead  when  discovered.  One  day  at  ten 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  I  observed  two  of  the  big  ants, 
which  I  had  come  to  look  upon  as  peaceful,  in  violent  com- 


EXPEDITION  INTO  THE  JUNGLE  43 

bat  outside  my  tent.  A  large  number  of  very  tiny  ones 
were  busily  attaching  themselves  to  legs  and  antennae 
of  both  fighters,  who  did  not,  however,  greatly  mind  the 
small  fellows,  which  were  repeatedly  shaken  off  as  the  pair 
moved  along  in  deadly  grip. 

One  of  the  combatants  clasped  his  nippers  firmly 
around  one  leg  of  the  other,  which  for  several  hours  strug- 
gled in  vain  to  get  free.  A  small  ant  was  hanging  on  to 
one  of  the  victor's  antennae,  but  disappeared  after  a  couple 
of  hours.  Under  a  magnifying-glass  I  could  see  that 
each  fighter  had  lost  a  leg.  I  placed  the  end  of  a  stick 
against  the  legs  of  the  one  that  was  kept  in  this  merciless 
vice,  and  he  immediately  attached  himself  to  it.  As  I  lifted 
the  stick  up  he  held  on  by  one  leg,  supporting  in  this  way 
both  his  own  weight  and  that  of  his  antagonist.  Finally, 
they  ceased  to  move  about,  but  did  not  separate  in  spite 
of  two  heavy  showers  in  the  afternoon,  and  at  four 
o'clock  they  were  still  maintaining  their  relative  posi- 
tions; but  next  morning  they  and  the  other  ants  had  dis- 
appeared. 


CHAPTER   V 

MEETING  PUNANS,  THE  SHY  JINC;LE  PEOPLE — DOWN  THE 
RIVER  AGAIN — MY  ENTHUSIASTIC  BOATMEN — MALAYS 
VERSUS    DAYAKS 

At  my  request  the  raja,  with  a  few  companions,  went 
out  in  search  of  some  of  the  shy  jungle  pcoj)le  called 
Punans.  Seven  days  aftenvard  he  actually  returned  with 
twelve  men,  who  were  followed  by  seven  more  the  next 
day.  AH  the  women  had  been  left  one  day's  journey 
from  here.  These  Punans  had  been  encountered  at  some 
distance  from  kampong  Bruen,  higher  up  the  river,  and, 
according  to  reports,  made  up  the  entire  nomadic  popula- 
tion of  the  lower  Kayan  River.  Most  of  them  were  rather 
tall,  well-made  men,  but,  as  a  result  of  spending  all  their 
lives  in  the  darkness  of  the  jungle,*  their  skin  colour,  a 
pale  yellowish  brown,  was  strikingly  lighter,  especially 
the  face,  than  that  of  the  Kayans. 

They  actually  seemed  to  hate  the  sun,  and  next  day 
when  it  broke  through  the  mist  for  a  little  while  they  all 
sought  shelter  in  the  shade  of  trees.  As  a  result  of  their 
avoidance  of  direct  rays  from  the  sun  they  have  a  washed- 
out,  almost  sickly  pale  appearance,  contrasting  strangely 
with  the  warm  tone  of  light  brown  which  at  times  may  be 
observed  among  the  Dayaks.  This  is  probably  the  rea- 
son why  they  are  not  very  strong,  though  apparently  mus- 
cular, and  arc  not  able  to  carry  heavy  burdens.     They 

*  Id  von  Lu&chan's  tabic,  Punan  15,  Kayan  22. 


JUNGLE   PEOPLE  45 

began  at  once  to  put  up  a  shed  similar  to  those  of  the 
Dayaks,  but  usually  their  shelters  for  the  night  are  of  the 
rudest  fashion,  and  as  they  have  only  the  scantiest  of 
clothing  they  then  cover  themselves  with  mats  made  from 
the  leaves  of  the  fan-palm. 

On  the  Upper  Mahakam  I  later  made  acquaintance 
with  some  of  the  Punans  who  roam  the  mountainous 
regions  surrounding  the  headwaters  of  that  river.  Those 
are  known  under  the  name  Punan  Kohi,  from  a  river  of 
that  name  in  the  mountains  toward  Sarawak.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  same  tribe  further  east  in  the  mountains  of 
the  Bulungan  district  are  called  Punan  Lun,  from  the  River 
Lun,  to  whom  the  present  individuals  probably  belonged. 
According  to  the  raja,  there  are  two  kinds  of  Punans  here, 
and  his  statement  seems  to  be  borne  out  by  the  variations 
in  their  physical  appearance. 

These  nineteen  nomads  had  black  hair,  straight  in 
some  cases,  wavy  in  others.  Most  of  them  had  a  sem- 
blance of  mustache  and  some  hair  on  the  chin.  Their 
bodies  looked  perfectly  smooth,  as  they  remove  what  little 
hair  there  may  be.  Some  of  them  had  high-arched  noses. 
The  thigh  was  large,  but  the  calf  of  the  leg  usually  was 
not  well-developed,  though  a  few  had  very  fine  ones;  and 
they  walked  with  feet  turned  outward,  as  all  the  Dayaks 
and  Malays  I  have  met  invariably  do.  The  only  garment 
worn  was  a  girdle  of  plaited  rattan  strings,  to  which 
at  front  and  back  was  attached  a  piece  of  fibre  cloth. 
Although  dirty  in  appearance,  only  one  man  was  afl^icted 
with  scaly  skin  disease.  Visits  to  the  hill-tops  are  avoided 
by  them  on  account  of  the  cold,  which  they  felt  much  in 


46  IHRULCill   CKMRAl.    HURNKO 

our  camp.  Their  dark-brown  eyes  had  a  kindlv  expres- 
sion; in  fact  they  are  harmless  and  timid-looking 
beings,  though  in  some  parts  of  Borneo  they  engage  in 
head-hunting,  a  practice  probably  learned  from  the 
Dayaks.  Those  I  talked  with  said  the  custom  was  en- 
tirely discontinued,  although  formerly  heads  of  other 
Punans,  Malays,  or  Dayaks  had  been  taken. 

These  natives,  following  no  doubt  an  observance 
prevalent  among  the  Dayaks,  had  some  of  their  teeth 
filed  off  in  the  upper  jaw,  the  four  incisors,  two  cuspids, 
and  two  bicuspids.  Our  Kayans  from  Kaburau  had  no 
less  than  ten  teeth  filed  off,  the  four  incisors  and  three 
more  on  either  side.  The  operation  is  performed  when  a 
boy  or  girl  becomes  full-grown.  For  the  boys  it  is  not  a 
painful  experience,  but  the  girls  have  theirs  filed  much 
shorter,  which  causes  pain  and  loss  of  blood. 

The  Punans  make  fire  by  iron  and  flint  which  are 
carried  in  a  small  bamboo  box.  They  are  expert  re- 
garding the  manufacture  of  the  sumpitan  (blow-pipe), 
and  are  renowned  for  their  skill  in  using  this  weapon  and 
can  make  the  poisonous  darts  as  well  as  the  bamboo 
caskets  in  which  these  are  carried.  Subsisting  chiefly 
upon  meat,  their  favourite  food  is  wild  pig. 

At  the  birth  of  a  child  all  the  men  leave  the  premises, 
including  the  husband.  The  dead  are  buried  in  the 
ground  a  metre  deep,  head  toward  the  rising  sun.  The 
Punans  climb  trees  in  the  same  manner  as  the  Kayans 
and  other  Dayaks  I  have  seen,  /.  r.,  by  tying  their  feet  to- 
gether and  moving  up  one  side  of  the  tree  in  jumps. 
The  Kayans  in  climbing  do  not  always  tic  the  feet. 


PLNANS  NtAk  .\n    LA.Nir 


JUNGLE   PEOPLE  47 

These  shy  nomads  remained  in  camp  two  days  and 
allowed  themselves  to  be  photographed.  One  morning 
seven  of  them  went  out  to  look  for  game,  armed  with  their 
long  sumpitans  and  carrying  on  the  right  side,  attached  to 
the  girdle,  the  bamboo  casket  that  contained  the  darts. 
They  formed  a  thrilling  sight  in  the  misty  morning  as  in 
single  file  they  swung  with  long,  elastic  steps  up  the  hill. 
Though  the  Punans  are  famous  as  hunters  and  trappers, 
they  returned  in  a  few  hours  without  any  result.  Next 
morning  when  I  ventured  to  begin  taking  their  measure- 
ments they  became  uneasy  and  one  after  another  slipped 
away,  even  leaving  behind  part  of  their  promised  rewards, 
rice  and  clothing  for  the  women,  and  taking  with  them 
only  tobacco  and  a  large  tin  of  salt,  which  I  rather  re- 
gretted, as  they  had  well  earned  it  all. 

We  made  a  trip  of  a  few  days'  duration  to  the  next 
elevation,  Gunong  Rega,  in  a  northerly  direction,  most  of 
the  time  following  a  long,  winding  ridge  on  a  well-defined 
Punan  trail.  The  hill-top  is  nearly  800  metres  above 
sea-level  (2,622  feet),  by  boiling  thermometer,  and  the 
many  tree-ferns  and  small  palm-trees  add  greatly  to  its 
charm  and  beauty. 

Toward  the  end  of  February  I  made  my  way  back  to 
the  river.  From  our  last  camp,  one  day's  march  down- 
ward, three  of  my  strongest  Kayans  had  carried  45  kilo- 
grams each.  My  Javanese  cook,  Wong  Su,  on  arriving 
in  camp,  felt  ill  and  I  found  him  lying  prostrate.  He  had 
not  been  perspiring  on  the  march  down  the  hills  and  com- 
plained of  chilly  sensations.  He  also  presented  the  symp- 
toms of  a  cold  attack  of  malaria,  but  it  was  simply  the 


48  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

effects  produced  by  the  bites  of  leeches,  to  which  he  was 
particularly  susceptible.  He  had  seven  bites  on  one  ankle 
and  two  on  the  other,  and  the  resulting  wounds  were 
swollen  and  suppurating,  but  by  the  application  of  iodine 
followed  by  hot  compress  bandages,  he  was  able  to  re- 
sume his  work  in  three  days.  Nevertheless,  suppuration 
formed  even  at  a  distance  from  the  wounds,  and  five 
months  later  they  were  not  entirely  healed.  It  is  bad 
policy  to  remove  leeches  forcibly  in  spite  of  the  tempta- 
tion to  do  so.  The  application  of  salt  or  tobacco  juice 
makes  them  drop  off,  and  the  wounds  are  less  severe, 
but  few  persons  have  the  patience  to  wait  after  discover- 
ing a  leech.  The  animal  is  not  easily  killed.  The  Da- 
yaks  always  remove  it  with  the  sword  edge  and  imme- 
diately cut  it  in  two. 

On  our  return  to  our  old  lodging-house  near  Kaburau 
I  spent  a  week  making  ethnological  collections  from  the 
Kayan,  who  brought  me  a  surprising  number,  keeping  me 
busy  from  early  until  late.  Before  continuing  my  jour- 
ney up  the  river  I  decided  to  go  down  to  Tandjong  Selor 
in  order  to  buy  necessary  provisions  and  safely  dispose  of 
my  collections.  The  Kayans  were  glad  to  provide  pra- 
hus,  the  keelless  boats  which  are  used  by  both  Dayak  and 
Malay.  The  prahu,  even  the  largest  size,  is  formed  from 
a  dugout,  and  to  the  edge  on  either  side  are  lashed  two 
boards,  one  above  and  overlapping  the  other.  This  is 
accomplished  by  threading  rattan  through  numerous  small 
holes.  As  these  are  not  completely  filled  by  the  rattan, 
they  are  plugged  with  fibre  and  calked  with  damar  to 
prevent  leakage. 


DOWN  THE   RIVER  AGAIN  49 

In  order  to  travel  more  comfortably  we  lashed  a  prahu 
at  either  side  of  mine,  while  many  of  the  natives  who  took 
advantage  of  the  occasion  to  visit  the  shops  in  town,  tied 
theirs  at  the  rear  of  ours.  It  was  a  gay  flotilla  that  pro- 
ceeded down  the  river,  the  Dayaks  singing  most  of  the 
time,  especially  the  women  who  accompanied  their  hus- 
bands, a  number  of  them  sitting  in  my  large  but  crowded 
prahu.  The  women  never  seemed  to  grow  tired  of  the 
Mae  Lu  Long,  a  jolly  song  which  I  had  several  times  heard 
them  singing  when  returning  from  the  fields  in  the  evening. 
Its  words  are  of  a  language  called  Bungkok.  The  Ken- 
yahs  have  the  same  song,  and  when  I  sang  it  to  the  Peni- 
hings  on  the  Upper  Mahakam  they  also  understood  it. 
These  Kayans  (Segai)  are  able  to  sing  in  the  following 
six  dialects  or  languages:  Bungkok,  Tekena,  Siudalong, 
Siupanvei,  Lepoi,  and  Lui  Lui. 


KAYAN  WOMEN'S   SONG 

(On  retuming  from  the  fields) 

Lively, 


Mae      lun      long     sun    dong  min     ma  _-  ^i      min  kam  lam  {Repeat) 

At  times  as  they  paddled  along,  the  men,  would  sing 
without  words,  but  more  impressively,  a  song  which  until 
recently  was  used  when  the  Kayan  returned  to  a  kam- 
pong  from  a  successful  head-hunting  expedition.  Though 
the  Dutch  authorities  evidently  have  stamped  out  head- 
hunting on  the  Kayan  River,  and  have  even  destroyed  the 
heads  that  were  hanging  in  the  houses,  smashing  them 
and  throwing  them  into  the  river,  the  Kayan  still  speaks 


50  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

of  the  custom  in  the  present  tense.  Even  one  or  two  of 
my  companions  were  credited  with  having  taken  part 
in  such  expeditions. 

To-day  the  young  men  sing  the  song  of  the  returning 
head-hunters  more  for  the  fun  of  it,  but  the  enthusiasm 
of  all  waxed  high  when  the  paddlers  took  it  up.  Those 
who  did  not  paddle  would  reach  out  for  the  large  trumpets 
which,  as  part  of  my  collections,  were  lying  in  my  prahu, 
and  blow  them  with  full  force  as  an  accompaniment,  just 
as  these  instruments  formerly  were  used  on  real  occasions. 
A  deep,  strong  bass  sound  is  produced  which  resembles 
the  distant  whistle  of  a  big  ocean  steamer.  The  men  at 
the  rear  would  join  in  with  wild  shouts  like  those  made  by 
American  cowboys,  most  of  them  rising  in  their  prahus  to 
be  able  to  give  more  impetus  to  the  paddles.  The  power- 
ful strokes  of  our  enthusiastic  crew  made  my  prahu  jump 
with  jerky  movements,  and  we  progressed  rapidly,  arriv- 
ing early  in  the  afternoon  at  Tandjong  Selor.  This  time 
I  was  made  comfortable  in  a  government's  pasang-grahan 
that  had  just  been  completed,  and  which  was  far  enough 
from  the  main  street  to  avoid  disturbing  noise. 


KAYAN  HEAD-HUNTERS'   SONG 
(On  returning  (mn  a  tucccMful  raid) 

MyttifHy.  --»=,-=>- 


--^'-^t^t 


^pj   J  I J  J  I J  JTiT} 


■*->- 


Vac      TS-ae     vo       va:       vo      m        vo     «-«b-«b-«b  vo    vao  {Rtptak) 


I  had  found  the  Kayans  very  agreeable  to  deal  with, 
and  later  had  the  same  experience  with  many  other  tribes 
of  Borneo.     They  ask  hi^h  prices  for  their  goods,  but  are 


PL-XAX  USIXG  THE  SUMPITAX  Uk   HLOWllii 


KA^  \N    '  i.i^ii.i  "•'•    A    I  REE 


DOWN  THE   RIVER  AGAIN  51 

not  bold  in  manner.  Though  I  made  no  special  effort  to 
ingratiate  myself  with  them  they  always  crowded  round 
me,  and  sometimes  I  was  compelled  to  deny  myself  to  all 
callers  regardless  of  their  wishes.  When  I  was  reading  or 
writing  it  was  necessary  to  tell  them  to  be  quiet,  also  to 
stop  their  singing  at  night  when  my  sleep  was  too  much 
disturbed,  but  they  were  never  offended.  Presents  of 
fruit,  fish,  mouse-traps,  and  other  articles  which  they 
thought  I  might  like,  were  constantly  offered  me.  The 
women,  free  and  easy  in  their  manners,  were  ladylike  to  a 
surprising  degree.  In  spite  of  having  had  ten  teeth  of  the 
upper  jaw  filed  down  and  the  remainder  coloured  black 
by  the  constant  chewing  of  betel,  they  are  literally  to  the 
manner  born. 

The  controleur  told  me  that  his  large  district,  the 
northernmost  part  of  Dutch  Borneo,  called  Bulungan, 
comprised  "about  1,100  square  miles.'*  He  estimated 
the  number  of  inhabitants  to  be  about  60,000,  roughly 
speaking,  50  to  each  mile,  but  the  population  here  as 
elsewhere  follows  the  rivers.  The  Dayaks  are  greatly  in 
majority,  the  Malays  inhabiting  the  Sultan's  kampong 
and  a  couple  of  small  settlements  in  the  vicinity.  He  had 
travelled  a  good  deal  himself  and  taken  census  where  it 
was  possible.  His  statistics  showed  that  among  the 
Dayaks  the  men  outnumber  the  women  somewhat,  and 
that  children  are  few.  In  one  small  kampong  there 
were  no  children.  The  same  fact  has  been  noted  in  other 
parts  of  Borneo.  The  hard  labour  of  the  women  has  been 
advanced  as  a  reason.  Doctor  A.  W.  Nieuwenhuis  be- 
lieves that  inborn  syphilis  is  the  cause  of  the  infertility 


52  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

of  the  Bahu  on  the  Upper  Mahakam.  Whatever  the  rea- 
son, as  a  matter  of  fact  the  Dayak  women  are  not  fertile. 
The  chief  of  the  Kayan  kampong,  Kabiirau,  at  the  time 
of  my  visit  had  a  fourth  wife  on  probation  for  two  years, 
having  previously  dismissed  three  because  they  bore  him 
no  children. 

With  the  Malays  the  condition  is  just  the  reverse. 
Their  total  number  in  the  Bulungan  district  is  perhaps 
only  one-tenth  that  of  Dayaks,  but  with  them  women  pre- 
ponderate and  there  are  many  children.  Such  is  the 
case  in  the  rest  of  Dutch  Borneo,  and  is  one  reason  why 
the  Malays  ultimately  must  dominate. 

The  Sultan  had  for  weeks  been  preparing  to  celebrate 
the  marriage  of  his  younger  brother,  which  event  occurred 
before  I  left,  and  the  festivities  were  to  continue  for  ten 
days.  As  a  feature  of  the  occasion,  two  young  Malay 
girls  presented  a  dance  which  they  evidently  had  not 
practised  sufficiently.  Among  the  company  was  an  old 
Malay  who,  according  to  the  testimony  of  all  present,  was 
one  hundred  and  thirty  years  old.  lie  had  lived  to  see 
seven  sultans  and  was  the  ancestor  of  five  generations. 
His  movements  were  somewhat  stiff,  but  otherwise  he  was 
a  young-looking  old  man  who,  still  erect,  carried  a  long 
stick  which  he  put  down  with  some  force  at  each  step. 
I  photographed  the  Sultan,  who  donned  his  official 
European  suit,  in  which  he  evidently  felt  exceedingly  un- 
comfortable. The  operation  finished,  he  lifted  u|i  the 
skirts  of  the  long  black  robe  as  if  to  cool  himself,  and 
walked  hurriedly  away  toward  the  house. 


CHAPTER  VI 

resumption  of  my  journey  up  the  kayan  river — long 
pangian — beri-beri — hints  on  proper  provisions 
— kenyahs  from  central  borneo — effect  of  a 
spider's  bite 

Shortly  after  my  arrival  in  Tandjong  Selor,  fifty 
Dayaks,  mostly  Kenyahs,  Oma  Bakkah,  and  some 
Kayans,  arrived  from  distant  Apo  Kayan  on  a  trading 
expedition,  and  I  considered  this  rather  fortunate,  as  it 
would  largely  solve  the  difficult  question  of  prahus  and 
men  for  my  journey  up  the  river.  The  controleur  and 
the  Sultan  also  co-operated  in  assisting  me  to  make  a 
start,  but  when  at  last  all  seemed  in  readiness,  the  Malays 
allowed  one  of  our  prahus  to  drift  away  down  toward  the 
sea;  after  other  similar  delays  I  finally  began  my  expedi- 
tion up  the  Kayan  River. 

At  the  old  pasang-grahan  near  Kaburau,  I  found  that 
during  our  two  weeks'  absence  surprising  changes  had 
taken  place  in  the  vegetation  of  the  immediate  surround- 
ings. The  narrow  path  leading  from  the  river  up  the  em- 
bankment was  now  closed  by  large  plants  in  flower,  one 
species  looking  like  a  kind  of  iris.  The  grass  which  we  had 
left  completely  cut  down  had  grown  over  twenty  centi- 
metres. (Three  weeks  later  it  was  in  bloom.)  It  was  the 
month  of  March  and  several  big  trees  in  the  surrounding 
jungle  were  covered  with  masses  of  white  blossoms. 

It  is  about  112  kilometres  from  Tandjong  Selor  to 

53 


54       THROrC^H  CENTRAL  BORNEO 

Long  Pangian,  our  first  halting-place,  and,  as  the  current 
of  the  river  is  not  strong  until  the  last  day,  the  distance 
may  be  covered  in  four  days.  When  low  the  Kayan 
River  is  light  greenish-brown,  but  when  high  the  colour 
changes  to  a  muddy  red-brown  with  a  tinge  of  yellow. 
We  used  the  dilapidated  pasang-grahans  as  shelters,  but 
one  night  we  were  obliged  to  camp  on  the  river  bank, 
so  I  had  the  tall,  coarse  grass  cut  down  on  the  embank- 
ment, which  was  a  few  metres  higher  than  the  beach. 
Underneath  the  tall  growth  was  another  kind  of  grass, 
growing  low  and  tangled  like  a  mat,  which  could  be  dis- 
posed of  by  placing  poles  under  it,  lifting  it  and  rolling 
it  back,  while  at  the  same  time  the  few  r(X)ts  attaching  it 
to  the  ground  were  cut  with  swords.  In  less  than  fifteen 
minutes  I  had  a  safe  place  for  my  tent. 

The  Dayaks,  however,  who  have  little  to  concern  them 
except  their  prahus,  in  which  is  left  whatever  baggage  they 
may  have,  as  usual  slept  in  the  prahus  or  on  the  stony 
beach.  During  the  night  the  river  rose  a  metre,  and  some 
of  the  men  awoke  in  water.  The  Chinese  mandur,  not- 
withstanding my  warnings,  had  tied  his  prahu  carelessly, 
and  in  the  middle  of  the  night  it  drifted  off,  with  lighted 
lamp  and  two  Dayaks  sleeping  in  it.  Luckily  some  of 
the  others  soon  discovered  the  accident  and  a  rescuing 
party  brought  it  back  early  in  the  morning.  The 
*' kitchen"  had  been  moved  up  to  my  place,  and  in  spite 
of  rain  and  swollen  river  we  all  managed  to  get  break- 
fast. I  had  a  call  from  tin'  chief  of  the  near-by  kampong, 
who  spoke  excellent  Malay,  and  had  visited  New  Guinea 
twice  on   Dutch  ex[)editions,  once  with   Doctor  Lorcnz. 


KAVAX  AT  THE  AUTHORS  CAMP 


BLOWIXG  A  NATIVE  WIND  IXSTRUMEXT 


THE  KIN(;  eOHKA   (.Y.l/.l    BIWCARUS) 
This  vcr>'  poisonous  and  aKjircvsivc  siKxics  reaches  a  li-nKth  of  st-vi-n  mctcni 


YOtNC.  OkANw-tTANS 


UP  THE   KAYAN   RIVER  55 

One  characteristic  of  the  climate  which  had  impressed 
him  much  was  the  snow,  which  had  been  very  cold  for  the 
feet.  He  was  kind  enough  to  send  me  a  present  of  a  young 
fowl,  which  was  very  acceptable. 

Long  Pangian  is  a  small  settlement  where  ten  native 
soldiers  are  kept,  under  the  command  of  a  so-called  post- 
houder,  in  this  case  a  civilized  Dayak  from  the  South 
who  met  us  at  the  landing  in  an  immaculate  white  suit 
and  new  tan  shoes.  It  was  warmer  here  toward  the  end 
of  March  than  at  Tandjong  Selor,  because  there  had  not 
been  much  rain  for  a  month.  The  soil  was  therefore  hard, 
and  in  the  middle  of  the  day  so  heated  that  after  a  shower 
it  remained  as  dry  as  before.  A  few  Chinamen  and  Bugis 
who  live  here  advance  rice  and  dried  fish  to  the  Malays 
to  provision  expeditions  into  the  utan  which  last  two  to 
three  months,  receiving  in  return  rubber  and  damar. 
The  Malays  come  from  lower  down  on  the  river,  and  a 
good  many  of  them  leave  their  bones  in  the  jungle, 
dying  from  beri-beri;  others  ill  with  the  same  disease  are 
barely  able  to  return  to  Long  Pangian,  but  in  three  weeks 
those  who  do  return  usually  recover  sufficiently  to  walk 
about  again  by  adopting  a  diet  of  katsjang  idju,  the 
famous  green  peas  of  the  East  Indies,  which  counteract 
the  disease.  The  Malays  mix  native  vegetables  with 
them  and  thus  make  a  kind  of  stew. 

The  rice  traded  in  Borneo  is  of  the  ordinary  polished 
variety,  almost  exclusively  from  Rangoon,  and  it  is  gen- 
erally supposed  that  the  polishing  of  the  rice  is  the  cause 
of  this  illness.  The  Dutch  army  in  the  East  seems  to  have 
obtained  good  results  by  providing  the  so-called  silver- 


56  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

fleeced  rice  to  the  soldiers.  However,  I  was  told  that,  in 
some  localities  at  least,  the  order  had  to  be  rescinded,  be- 
cause the  soldiers  objected  so  strongly  to  that  kind  of 
rice.  Later,  on  this  same  river,  I  personally  experienced 
a  swelling  of  the  ankles,  with  an  acceleration  of  the  heart 
action,  which,  on  my  return  to  Java,  was  pronounced  by  a 
medical  authority  to  be  beri-beri.  Without  taking  any 
medicine,  but  simply  by  the  changed  habits  of  life,  with 
a  variety  of  good  food,  the  symptoms  soon  disappeared. 

It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  the  use  of  polished  rice  is 
a  cause  of  beri-beri,  because  the  Dayaks,  with  their  primi- 
tive methods  of  husking,  never  suffer  from  this  disease, 
although  rice  is  their  staple  food.  Only  on  occasions 
when  members  of  these  tribes  take  part  in  expeditions  to 
New  Guinea,  or  are  confined  in  prisons,  and  eat  the  rice 
offered  of  civilization,  are  they  afflicted  with  this  malady. 
In  my  own  case  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  my  indisposi- 
tion at  the  commencement  of  my  travels  in  Borneo  was 
largely  due  to  the  use  of  oatmeal  from  which  the  husks 
had  been  removed.     Rolled  oats  is  the  proper  food. 

Modern  research  has  established  beyond  doubt,  that 
the  outer  layers  of  grains  contain  mineral  salts  and  vita- 
mines  that  are  indispensable  to  human  life.  Facts  prove 
that  man,  if  confined  to  an  exclusive  diet  of  white  bread, 
ultimately  dies  from  malnutrition.  Cereals  which  have 
been  "refined"  of  their  husks  present  a  highly  starchy 
food,  and  unless  they  are  properly  balanced  by  base- 
forming  substances,  trouble  is  sure  to  follow.  Scurvy, 
beri-beri,  and  acidosis  have  been  fatal  to  many  expedi- 
tions, though  these  diseases  no  doubt  can  be  avoided  by 


BERI-BERI  57 

a  judicious  selection  of  provisions  that  insure  acid  and 
base  forming  nutrition  in  the  right  proportion.* 

As  a  precautionary  measure  during  my  further  travels 
in  Borneo  I  adopted  the  green  peas  of  the  Orient  in  my 
daily  diet,  and  when  properly  cooked  they  suit  my  taste 
very  well.  Every  day  my  native  cook  made  a  pot  of 
katjang  idju,  to  which  I  added  as  a  flavour  Liebig's  ex- 
tract, and  when  procurable  difi^erent  kinds  of  fresh  veg- 
etables such  as  the  natives  use.  Almost  any  kind  of 
preserved  vegetables  or  meat,  especially  sausages,  is 
compatible  with  this  stew,  which  is  capable  of  infinite 
variations.  For  a  year  and  a  half  I  used  it  every  day, 
usually  twice  a  day,  without  becoming  tired  of  it,  and  this 
regimen  undoubtedly  was  the  reason  why  the  symptoms 
of  acidosis  never  reappeared. 

*  For  an  illuminating  example  of  poorly  balanced  food,  see  Physical  Cul- 
ture Magazine,  New  York,  for  August,  191 8,  in  which  Mr.  Alfred  W.  McCann 
describes  the  disaster  to  the  Madeira-Mamore  Railway  Company  in  Brazil, 
when  "four  thousand  men  were  literally  starved  to  death  on  a  white 
bread  diet."  In  the  July  number  may  be  found  the  same  food  expert's 
interesting  manner  of  curing  the  crew  of  the  German  raider  Kronprinz  JVil- 
helm,  which  in  April,  191 5,  put  in  at  Newport  News,  in  Virginia,  with  over  a 
hundred  men  seriously  stricken  with  acidosis.  The  crew  had  enjoyed  an 
abundance  of  food  from  the  ships  they  had  raided  and  destroyed,  but  a 
mysterious  disease,  pronounced  to  be  beri-beri,  was  crippling  the  crew. 
As  the  patients  failed  to  respond  to  the  usual  treatment,  the  ship's  chief 
surgeon  consented  to  try  the  alkaline  treatment  which  Mr.  McCann  sug- 
gested to  him.  The  patients  rapidly  recovered  on  a  diet  consisting  of  fresh 
vegetable  soup,  potato-skin  liquor,  wheat  bran,  whole-wheat  bread,  egg  yolks, 
whole  milk,  orange  juice,  and  apples.     No  drugs  were  administered. 

It  may  be  added  that  Dr.  Alfred  Berg  (in  the  same  magazine,  September, 
1919)  recounts  the  cure  of  an  absolutely  hopeless  case  of  stomach  trouble 
by  the  vegetable  juice  prepared  according  to  McCann's  formula.  He  has 
found  the  results  gained  by  the  use  of  this  soup  in  diet  "so  remarkable  as 
to  be  almost  unbelievable." 

The  formula  in  question,  as  taken  from  McCann's  article,  is:  "Boil 
cabbage,  carrots,  parsnips,  spinach,  onions,  turnips  together  for  two  hours. 
Drain  off  liquor.  Discard  residue.  Feed  liquor  as  soup  in  generous  quan- 
tities with  unbuttered  whole-wheat  bread." 


58  THROrCII   CENTRAL    BORNEO 

I  may  add  that  besides  this  chsh  my  main  food  was 
milk  and  biscuits,  especially  those  made  of  whole  wheat. 
In  the  tropics  no  milk  will  keep  beyond  a  certain  time 
limit  unless  it  is  sweetened,  which  renders  it  less  whole- 
some. I  found  Nestle  &  Company's  evaporated  milk 
serviceable,  but  their  sterilised  natural  milk  is  really 
excellent,  though  it  is  expensive  on  an  expedition  which  at 
times  has  to  depend  on  carriers,  and  in  mountainous 
regions  like  New  Guinea  it  would  be  impracticable  to 
carry  it.  Under  these  conditions  one  is  content  to  have 
the  evaporated  or  the  sweetened  brand.  Sterilised  milk, 
although  perhaps  a  luxury,  is  a  permissible  one  when 
travelling  by  boat,  but  the  fact  that  it  remains  sound  only 
a  limited  time  should  be  borne  in  mind.  However,  it 
helped  me  to  resist  the  adverse  conditions  of  travel  in  the 
equatorial  regions,  and  to  return  to  civilisation  in  prime 
physical  condition.  When  I  had  opportunity  I  ate  the 
rice  of  the  Dayaks,  which  is  not  so  well  sifted  of  its  husks, 
and  is  by  far  more  palatable  than  the  ordinary  polished 
rice.  I  found  the  best  biscuits  to  be  Huntley  and 
Palmer's  College  Brown,  unsweetened. 

As  regards  one's  native  companions,  the  Dayaks  or 
Malays  are  quite  satisfied  as  long  as  they  get  their  full 
rations  of  rice  and  dried  fish.  This  is  the  food  they  have 
always  been  accustomed  to  and  their  demands  do  not 
go  further,  although  cocoanut-oil  for  frying  the  fish  adds  to 
their  contentment.  Katjang  idju  was  usually  given  them 
if  tlu-re  was  sugar  enough  to  serve  with  it;  they  do  not 
care  for  it  unsweetened.  I  have  dwelt  at  some  length 
on  the  food  (jucstion,  because  information  on  this  subject 


HINTS  ON   PROPER   PROVISIONS  59 

may  prove  useful  in  case  others  are  tempted  to  undertake 
journeys  of  exploration  and  research  in  the  East  Indies. 
To  have  the  right  kind  of  provisions  is  as  important  in  the 
equatorial  regions  as  in  the  arctic,  and  civilised  humanity 
would  be  better  off  if  there  were  a  more  general  recogni- 
tion of  the  fact  that  suitable  food  is  the  best  medicine. 

Our  Dayaks  from  Apo  Kayan,  who  had  proved  very 
satisfactory,  left  us  at  Long  Pangian.  They  had  to  wait 
several  days  before  their  friends  caught  up  with  them,  so 
they  could  continue  their  long  journey.  This  party  of 
Dayaks,  after  spending  one  month  at  home  in  gathering 
rubber,  had  travelled  in  five  prahus,  covered  some  distance 
on  land  by  walking  over  the  watershed,  and  then  made 
five  new  prahus  in  which  they  had  navigated  the  long  dis- 
tance to  Tandjong  Selor.  Ten  men  had  been  able  to 
make  one  prahu  in  four  days,  and  these  were  solid  good 
boats,  not  made  of  bark.  Already  these  people  had  been 
three  months  on  the  road,  and  from  here  to  their  homes 
they  estimated  that  at  least  one  month  would  intervene, 
probably  more. 

The  rubber  which  they  had  brought  was  sold  for 
f.  2,500  to  Hong  Seng.  They  had  also  sold  three  rhinoc- 
eros horns,  as  well  as  stones  from  the  gall-bladder  and 
intestines  of  monkeys  and  the  big  porcupine,  all  valuable 
in  the  Chinese  pharmacopcea.  Each  kilogram  of  rhino 
horn  may  fetch  f.  140.  These  articles  are  dispensed  for 
medical  effect  by  scraping  off  a  little,  which  is  taken  in- 
ternally with  water.  On  their  return  trip  the  Dayaks 
bring  salt  from  the  government's  monopoly,  gaudy  cloths 
for   the   women,    beads,    ivory   rings   for   bracelets   and 


6o  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

armlets,  and  also  rice  for  the  journey.  Should  the  sup- 
ply of  rice  become  exhausted  they  eat  native  herbs. 

At  Long  Pangian  we  were  able  to  develop  plates 
effectively  by  hauling  clear  and  comparatively  cool  water 
from  a  spring  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  away.  By  al- 
lowing six  cans  (five-gallon  oil  tins)  of  water  to  stand  over 
night,  and  developing  from  4.30  next  morning,  we  got 
ver}'  good  results,  though  the  water  would  show  nearly 
76°  F.  My  kinematograph  was  out  of  order,  and  desiring 
to  use  it  on  my  journey  higher  up  the  river,  I  decided  to 
go  again  to  Tandjong  Selor  in  an  endeav^our  to  have  it 
repaired.  The  delay  was  somewhat  irritating,  but  as  the 
trip  down-stream  consumed  only  two  days,  I  started  off 
in  a  small,  swift  boat  kindly  loaned  to  me  by  the  post- 
houder.  Fortunately  Mr.  J.  A.  Uljee,  a  Dutch  engineer 
who  was  in  town,  possessed  considerable  mechanical  tal- 
ent: in  a  few  days  he  succeeded  in  mending  the  appara- 
tus temporarily. 

As  I  was  preparing  to  return,  another  party  arrived 
from  Apo  Kayan.  They  were  all  Kenyahs,  Oma  Bakkah, 
who  came  in  seven  prahus,  and  proved  so  interesting  that 
I  postponed  my  journey  one  day.  The  government  has 
put  up  a  kind  of  lodging-house  for  visiting  Dayaks,  and 
the  many  fine  implements  and  utensils  which  these  men 
had  brought  with  them  made  the  interior  look  like  a 
museum.  Their  beautiful  carrying-baskets  and  other 
articles  were  standing  in  a  continuous  row  around  the 
walls.  These  Kenyahs  did  not  seem  to  have  been  here 
before  and  were  agreeable  people  with  whom  to  deal.  I 
have  not,  before  nor  since,  seen  such  a  tempting  collec- 


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AT  LONG  PANGIAN  6i 

tion  of  the  short  sword  of  the  Dayak  which  has  grown  to 
be  almost  a  part  of  himself.  In  the  northeast  these 
famous  swords  are  called  mandau,  but  the  designation 
parang  is  more  extensively  used,  and  I  shall  employ  that 
name.  One  exceedingly  fine  one,  belonging  to  the  chief, 
I  purchased  for  three  sets  of  ivory  rings,  each  set  at  fifteen 
florins,  and  one  sarong.  In  the  blacksmith's  art  the 
Dayaks  have  reached  a  higher  level  than  the  otherwise 
more  advanced  Malays  and  Javanese.  There  were  three 
women  in  the  party.  One  of  the  men  was  dressed  as  a 
woman  and  his  hands  were  tatued.  Though  his  voice 
was  quite  manly,  there  was  something  feminine  about 
him  and  in  appearance  he  was  less  robust  than  the  others. 
According  to  my  Chinese  interpreter,  who  has  travelled 
much,  there  are  many  such  men  in  Apo  Kayan. 

I  stopped  over  night  at  one  of  the  Bugis  settlements 
which  have  large  pineapple  plantations.  Such  delicious 
pineapples  as  those  in  northern  Borneo,  with  an  unusual 
abundance  of  juice  and  very  slightly  acid,  I  had  never 
before  tasted.  A  gigantic  white  rat,  about  the  size  of  a 
rabbit,  which  had  been  caught  working  havoc  with  the 
pineapples,  was  offered  me  for  sale  alive.  I  afterward 
regretted  that,  owing  to  the  great  difficulty  of  transporta- 
tion, I  declined,  as  no  doubt  it  was  a  rare,  if  not  a  new, 
species. 

In  the  evening,  on  my  return  to  Long  Pangian,  I  went 
to  bed  in  the  old  pasang-grahan  which  I  occupied  there. 
It  consisted  of  a  single  large  room  and  had  an  air  of  se- 
curity, so  for  once  I  omitted  to  tuck  the  mosquito-net  un- 
derneath me.     But  this  was  a  mistake,  for  some  animal 


62  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

hit  me,  and  I  was  awakened  by  an  intense  pain  on  the 
left  side  of  my  head  which  became  ahiiost  unbearable, 
then  gradually  subsided,  and  in  two  hours  I  slept  again. 
I  applied  nothing  to  the  affected  area  because  of  the  im- 
possibility of  locating  the  bite.  On  the  left  side  of  my 
neck  at  the  back  soon  developed  two  balls  of  moderate 
size  which  had  not  quite  disappeared  four  years  after- 
ward. Next  day  I  found  a  large  dark-coloured  spider 
which  no  doubt  was  the  culprit.  When  chased  it  made 
long  high  jumps  on  the  floor,  but  was  finally  captured. 
After  that  occurrence  I  paid  strict  attention  to  the  mos- 
quito-net, and  when  properly  settled  in  my  bed  for  the 
night  I  felt  as  safe  against  snakes  or  harmful  smaller 
animals  as  if  I  were  in  a  hotel  in  Europe. 


CHAPTER   VII 

ON  THE  ISAU  RIVER — ^A  KENYAH  CHILD's  FUNERAL — ^A 
GREAT  FISHING  EXPEDITION — CATCHING  FISH  BY  POI- 
SONING THE  RIVER — TAKING  OMENS — ENTERTAINING 
SCENES 

A  REPORT  came  to  me  that  the  people  of  kampong 
Long  Isau  (Long  =  sound;  Isau=a  kind  of  fruit)  were 
making  preparations  to  catch  fish  by  poisoning  the  river, 
and  that  they  were  going  immediately  to  build  traps  in 
which  the  stupefied  fish  are  caught.  I  decided  to  go  at 
once,  and  a  few  hours  later  we  were  on  our  way  up  the 
Isau  River,  a  tributary  to  the  Kayan,  at  the  junction 
with  which  lies  Long  Pangian.  We  made  our  camp  just 
opposite  the  kampong,  which  has  a  charming  location 
along  a  quiet  pool  formed  by  the  river  at  this  point.  The 
natives  here  and  on  the  Kayan  river  above  Long  Pang- 
ian are  Kenyahs.  Our  presence  did  not  seem  to  disturb 
them  in  the  least,  nor  did  the  arrival  of  some  Malays 
from  Long  Pangian,  who  had  closed  their  little  shops  in 
order  to  take  part  in  the  fishing. 

The  chief  was  a  tall,  fine-looking  man,  the  personifica- 
tion of  physical  strength  combined  with  a  dignified  bear- 
ing. He  readily  granted  permission  to  photograph  the 
women  coming  down  to  the  river  to  fetch  water.  The 
Kenyah  women  wear  scantier  attire  than  those  of  any 
other  tribes  of  Borneo — simply  a  diminutive  piece  of 
cloth.     It  was  picturesque  to  see  these  children  of  nature 

63 


64  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

descend  the  ste{)s  of  the  nnigh  ladder  that  leads  down  to 
the  river,  gracefully  carrying  on  their  backs  a  load  of  five 
or  six  bamboos,  then  w.ule  into  the  calm  water,  where 
they  bathed  for  a  few  moments  before  filling  their  recepta- 
cles. The  Kenyah  drinks  water  by  taking  it  up  in  his 
hands  while  looking  at  it.  In  the  house  he  drinks  from 
the  bamboo  utensils  which  are  always  conveniently  placed. 
The  Malay  throws  water  quickly  into  his  mouth  with  his 
right  hand. 

There  seemed  to  be  an  epidemic  of  cholerine  among 
the  children,  three  having  already  died  and  one  succumbed 
while  we  were  at  the  kampong.  The  sounding  of  a  gong 
drew  attention  to  this  fact  and  people  assembled  at  the 
house  of  mourning  where  they  wailed  for  an  hour.  The 
fishing  was  postponed  one  day  on  account  of  the  burial, 
and  the  work  of  making  the  coffin  could  be  heard  over  on 
our  side  of  the  river.  During  the  night  there  was  much 
crying. 

Next  day  at  noon  the  funeral  took  place.  First, 
with  quick  steps,  came  two  men  and  two  women,  parents 
of  children  who  had  died  before,  followed  by  the  father 
of  the  dead  child  and  another  man  of  the  family  who 
carried  the  coffin.  The  j)rocession  embarked  in  three 
prahus.  The  relatives  were  all  attired  in  simple  but 
becoming  mourning  garments,  made  from  wood-fibre, 
consisting  of  tunics,  and  wrappers  around  the  loins, 
which  as  regards  the  women  covered  practically  the 
whole  body,  and  on  their  heads  they  wore  pointed  hats 
of  the  same  material.  In  the  first  prahu  the  little  coffin 
was  placed,  and  immediately  behind   it  the  mother  lay 


ON  THE   ISAU   RIVER  65 

with  face  down.  Over  her  breast  was  a  broad  band  of 
fibre  which  passed  around  to  the  back  where  it  was  tied 
in  a  large  bow.  The  mourning  garb  worn  in  this  and  other 
Dayak  tribes  by  relatives  of  a  deceased  person  is  an  at- 
tempt to  elude  the  evil  spirit  (antoh)  who  is  regarded  as 
the  cause  of  death  and  whose  wrath  the  remaining  rela- 
tives are  anxious  to  evade  by  disguising  themselves  in 
this  way.  The  men  poled  fast,  and  ten  minutes  later 
the  cortege  ascended  the  bank  without  following  a  path, 
and  deposited  the  coffin  in  a  small,  old-looking  house. 
Once  daily  for  three  days  food  is  deposited  near  a  dead 
child,  while  in  the  case  of  adults  it  is  given  for  a  long  time. 

The  following  day  we  all  started  up  the  river  for  the 
great  catch.  About  300  Dayaks  had  gathered,  with  80 
prahus.  There  were  people  from  as  far  east  as  Kaburau, 
but  those  of  the  kampongs  west  of  Long  Pangian  did  not 
appear  as  expected.  Some  of  the  men  carried  spears 
specially  devised  for  fishing,  and  some  had  brought  their 
shields.  We  passed  seven  traps,  in  Kenyah  called 
"bring,"  some  in  course  of  making,  and  others  already 
finished.  These  rapidly  made  structures  were  found  at 
different  points  on  the  river.  Each  consisted  of  a  fence 
of  slightly  leaning  poles,  sometimes  fortified  with  mats,  , 
running  across  the  river  and  interrupted  in  the  middle 
by  a  well-constructed  trough,  the  bottom  of  which  was 
made  from  poles  put  closely  together,  which  allowed 
the  water  to  escape  but  left  the  fish  dry. 

The  poison  which  stupefies  or  even  kills  the  fish, 
without  making  it  unfit  for  food,  is  secured  from  the  root 
of  a  plant  called  tuba  and  described  to  me  as  being  a  vine. 


66  TIIROrClI   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

The  root,  which  is  very  long,  had  been  cut  up  into  short 
pieces  and  made  into  about  i,Soo  small  bundles,  each 
kampong  contributing  its  share.  The  packages  had  been 
formed  into  a  beautifidly  arranged  pile,  in  accordance 
with  the  artistic  propensities  of  both  Kenyah  and  Kayan, 
whose  wood-stacks  inside  the  rooms  are  models  of  neat- 
ness. The  heap  in  this  case  was  two  and  a  half  metres 
long  and  a  metre  high,  a  surprisingly  small  amount  for 
the  poisoning  of  a  whole  river. 

Before  daylight  they  began  to  beat  these  light-brown 
tuba  pieces  until  the  bark  became  detached.  The  bark 
is  the  only  part  used,  and  this  was  beaten  on  two  pre- 
viously prepared  blocks,  each  consisting  of  two  logs 
lashed  together,  with  flattened  upper  sides.  On  either 
side  of  these  crude  tables  stood  as  many  men  as  could  find 
room,  beating  earnestly  with  sticks  upon  the  bark,  singing 
head-hunting  songs  the  while  with  much  fervour.  Occa- 
sionally they  interrupted  the  procedure  to  run  about 
animatedly,  returning  shortly  to  resume  their  labour. 

Later  an  augury  was  to  be  taken,  and  all  gathered 
closely  on  a  wide  pebbly  beach.  First  a  long  piece  of 
root,  which  is  called  the  "mother  of  tuba,"  was  beaten 
vigorously  by  a  number  of  men.  Then  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal actors  stepped  fonvard  and  began  to  make  fire  in 
the  old-fashioned  way,  i.  r.,  by  pulling  with  both  hands  a 
piece  of  rattan  around  a  bamboo  stick  held  to  the  ground. 
According  to  several  possibilities  the  divinations  are  ex- 
pounded: Should  the  rattan  break  before  smoke  ensues, 
the  undertaking  is  postponed  for  ;iii  hour  or  two;  if 
the  rattan  breaks  into  two  equal  parts,  fish  will  not  be 


y.    e- 


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ON  THE  ISAU   RIVER  (yj 

caught;  but  if  the  right-hand  piece  is  longer  than  the  left, 
all  is  well  and  much  fish  will  be  the  result. 

The  assemblage  was  chewing  betel,  smoking  tobacco, 
and  with  hopeful  patience  anticipating  a  successful  out- 
come, while  one  chief  after  another  vainly  attempted  the 
augury.  Only  men  who  have  taken  heads  are  permitted 
to  make  divinations  of  fire  at  the  tuba-fishing,  and  if  all 
the  elders  have  tried  and  failed  the  fishing  is  delayed  one 
day. 

The  same  augury  is  used  when  dogs  have  run  away. 
If  the  left-hand  piece  is  the  longer,  the  dog  is  dead;  if  of 
the  same  size,  the  dog  will  be  found  at  a  distant  future 
time;  but  if  the  right  is  the  longer,  the  animal  will  be  re- 
covered very  soon.  The  reading  of  pig's  liver  in  regard 
to  the  present  or  the  future  is  used  more  by  the  Kayan 
than  by  the  Kenyah. 

It  was  after  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  success 
was  attained,  and  the  fishers  all  suddenly  dispersed. 
Some  of  them  carried  beaten  bark  into  four  empty 
prahus,  threw  water  over  it  with  their  hands,  then  beat 
it  again,  until  finally  it  was  crushed  to  shreds.  The 
prahus  were  then  turned  over  and  the  stuff  emptied  into 
the  water,  where  it  soon  disappeared.  The  bark  on  the 
blocks,  which  by  this  time  had  the  appearance  of  a  red- 
dish-brown fibre,  was  now  thrown  into  the  river  with 
much  shouting  and  running  about,  whereupon  the  men 
ran  out  of  sight,  probably  to  take  to  their  prahus. 

The  majority  of  the  stupefied  fish  are  caught  in  the 
so-called  "bring,"  the  traps  running  across  the  river,  but 
frantic  endeavours  were  made  by  those  engaged  in  the 


68  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

sport  to  take  the  fish  before  the  fences  were  reached,  and 
for  this  purpose  hand  nets  or  spears  were  used.  This 
[\irt  of  the  proceeding  was  most  entertaining. 

The  fleet  of  prahus  thoroughly  searched  the  water, 
descending  the  river  slowly  in  seven  hours.  At  a  few 
places  where  the  stream  makes  large  pools  a  few  hundred 
metres  long  the  boats  loitered  for  a  considerable  time,  as 
the  prey  would  not  often  rise  to  the  surface.  Now  and 
then  there  was  much  excitement  over  a  fish  that  had  risen 
and  dived  again,  and  the  nearest  prahus  would  all  try  to 
get  it.  Soon  a  man  would  be  seen  to  iump  after  it  with 
fixed  spear,  pass  out  of  view,  and  after  a  while  reappear  on 
the  surface,  invariably  with  a  large  fish  on  the  spear  point. 
It  was  a  magnificent  exhibition  of  agility  combined  with 
skill. 

The  Malays  also  captured  many  victims  with  their 
casting-nets.  It  is  customary  for  each  to  consider  as  his 
personal  property  all  the  fish  he  obtains.  These  gather- 
ings afford  much  delight  to  the  children,  of  whom  a  great 
number  accompanied  their  elders  in  the  prahus.  Women 
and  children  were  in  holiday  attire,  and,  in  spite  of  the 
grotesque  ornaments  of  big  rings  in  the  split,  distended 
ear-lobes,  the  latter  were  unusually  charming.  They  had 
bracelets  of  brass  and  silver  around  their  wrists  and 
ankles;  some  of  them  wore  necklaces  of  antique  beads  in 
dull  colors,  yellow,  dark  brown,  or  dccj)  blue.  Such  a 
necklace  may  cost  over  a  thousand  florins.  The  spirit  of 
the  whole  occasion  was  like  that  of  a  great  picnic. 

All  was  over  at  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  w  hen  the 
people  dispersed  to  their  respective  kampongs.     At  each 


ON  THE   ISAU   RIVER  69 

of  the  seven  **  bring,"  each  belonging  to  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal men,  were  caught  from  100  to  200  fish,  most  of  them 
fairly  large.  I  noted  seven  species.  More  than  a  thou- 
sand have  been  caught,  and  for  the  next  two  nights  and 
days  the  people  were  engaged  in  opening  and  drying  fish 
over  fire  and  smoke.  Thus  preserved  they  are  of  a  dark- 
brown  tint,  very  light  in  weight,  and  will  keep  for  three 
months.  Before  the  dried  product  is  eaten  it  is  pounded, 
then  boiled,  and  with  each  mouthful  a  pinch  of  salt  is 
taken. 

During  the  night  much  fish  was  obtained  even  as  far 
down  the  river  as  our  kampong,  and  many  men  searched 
for  it  here,  using  as  lamps  petroleum  in  bamboo  with  a 
piece  of  cloth  for  a  wick.  Next  day  all  the  able-bodied 
people  left  the  kampong  for  a  week's  stay  at  the  ladangs 
(fields),  one  day's  journey  up  the  Kayan  River,  only  the 
weak  and  old  people  remaining  behind.  On  this  occa- 
sion I  observed  five  or  six  individuals,  men  and  women, 
of  a  markedly  light,  yellowish  colour.  One  woman's 
body  was  as  light  as  that  of  a  white  woman,  but  her 
face  was  of  the  usual  colour,  perhaps  somewhat  lighter. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE  JOURNEY  CONTINUED  UP  THI-  KAYAN  RIVER — FIRST 
EXPERIENCE  OF  KIHAMS,  OR  RAPIDS — WITH  KEN- 
YAH    BOATMEN — ADVANTAGE     OF     NATIVE     COOKING — 

LONG    PELABAN — THE    ATTRACTIVE    KENYAHS SOCIAL 

STRATA — CUSTOMS  AND  HABITS — VALUABLE  BEADS 

At  Long  Pangian  several  clays  were  spent  in  vain 
efforts  to  secure  men  and  prahus  to  continue  the  journey 
up  the  Kayan  River.  The  few  Malays  about,  as  usual, 
did  not  believe  in  work,  but  the  posthouder  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  calling  Kenyahs  from  the  river  above,  and  on 
the  1st  of  May  we  started  with  five  prahus  and  twenty- 
four  men.  It  was  quite  refreshing  to  hear  again  the 
joyous  shouts  of  the  paddlers,  who  worked  eagerly  and 
quickly  against  the  strong  current.  A  little  over  an  hour 
brought  us  to  some  well-known  rapids,  or  "kihams,"  as 
they  usually  are  called  in  Borneo.  Formerly  this  Kiham 
Raja  had  a  bad  reputation,  Dayaks  being  killed  here 
occasionally  every  year,  but  of  late  the  government  has 
blasted  out  rocks  and  made  it  more  passable.  How- 
ever, even  now  it  is  no  triHe  to  negotiate  these  rapids. 
Below  them  we  halted  and  threw  explosive  Favier  into 
the  water  in  the  hope  of  getting  fish,  and  as  soon  as  the 
upheaval  of  the  water  began  the  Kenyahs,  as  if  by  a  given 
signal,  hurried  all  the  prahus  out  to  the  scene.  With 
other  natives  than  Dayaks  this  w{jul(l  have  given  nic 
some  anxiety,  as  the  boats  were  heavily  l.idcn  and  con- 
tained valuable  cameras  and  instruments.     We  secured 

70 


JOURNEY  UP  THE   KAYAN   RIVER  71 

quite  a  number  of  fish  and  the  Kenyahs  had  a  good  time. 

The  traveller  soon  assumes  a  feeling  of  confidence  in 
these  experienced  men  as,  according  to  circumstances, 
they  paddle,  pole,  or  drag  the  prahu  by  a  long  piece  of 
rattan  tied  to  the  inside  of  the  bow.  In  passing  these 
rapids  most  of  them  got  out  and  dragged  us  by  the  rattan, 
but  as  the  shore  consisted  of  big  stones  that  sometimes 
were  inaccessible,  they  would  often  throw  themselves  with 
the  rope  into  the  foaming  water  and  manage  to  get  foot- 
hold a  little  further  up.  Sometimes  it  looked  as  if  they 
would  not  succeed,  the  prahu  receding  precariously,  but 
they  were  so  quick  in  their  movements  and  the  prahus 
followed  each  other  so  closely  that  it  was  possible  to  give 
mutual  help. 

Amban  Klesau,  the  only  son  of  the  chief  of  Long 
Mahan,  directed  my  prahu.  He  had  taken  part  in  an 
expedition  to  New  Guinea  and  was  an  efficient  and  pleas- 
ant man  who  had  seen  something  of  the  world,  but  his 
attire  was  fantastic,  consisting  of  a  long  white  night- 
shirt with  a  thin  red  girdle  around  the  waist,  to  which 
was  attached  his  parang  adorned  with  many  ornaments. 
He  liked  that  shirt,  for  he  did  not  take  it  off  all  day, 
notwithstanding  the  extreme  heat.  The  dry  season  had 
set  in,  and  though  in  our  travels  I  took  good  care  to  place 
mats  over  the  iron  boxes  in  which  cameras  and  plates 
were  kept,  still  they  became  warm.  When  I  photo- 
graphed, perspiration  fell  like  rain-drops.  At  Long  Ma- 
han (mahan  =  difficulties,  or  time  spent)  we  found  the 
pasang-grahan  occupied  by  travelling  Malays,  two  of 
whom  were  ill  from  a  disease  resembling  cholera,  so  we 


72       THROUGH  CENTRAL  BORNEO 

moved  on  to  a  ladang  a  little  higher  up,  where  we  found  a 
camping-site. 

Next  day  we  stopped  to  photograph  a  beautiful  funeral 
house  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  in  which  rest  the  remains  of 
a  dead  chief  and  his  wife.  This  operation  finished,  the 
Dayaks  prepared  their  midday  meal  consisting  of  rice 
alone,  which  they  had  brought  in  wicker  bottles.  A 
number  of  bamboo  sticks  were  procured,  which  were 
filled  with  rice  and  water  and  placed  in  a  row  against  a 
horizontal  pole  and  a  fire  was  kindled  underneath.  As 
soon  as  this  cooking  was  finished  the  bamboos  were  handed 
to  the  chief,  Amban  Klesau,  who  in  the  usual  way  split  one 
open  with  his  parang  to  get  at  the  contents.  Having 
eaten,  he  distributed  the  rest  of  the  bamboos.  I  was 
given  one,  and  upon  breaking  it  open  a  delicious  smell 
met  my  olfactory  sense.  The  rice,  having  been  cooked 
with  little  water,  clung  together  in  a  gelatinous  mass 
which  had  a  fine  sweet  taste,  entirely  lacking  when 
cooked  in  the  white  man's  way. 

During  my  travels  in  Borneo  I  often  procured  such 
rice  from  the  Dayaks.  It  is  a  very  clean  and  convenient 
way  of  carrying  one's  lunch,  inside  of  a  bamboo,  the  open 
end  closed  with  a  bunch  of  leaves.  Fish  and  meat  are 
prepared  in  the  same  manner.  With  fish  no  water  is 
used,  nevertheless,  when  cooked  it  yields  much  juice, 
with  no  suggestion  of  the  usual  mud-flavoured  varieties  of 
Borneo.  It  will  remain  wholesome  three  days,  and 
whenever  necessary  the  bamboo  is  heated  at  the  bottom. 
One  who  has  tasted  meat  or  cereals  cooked  between  hot 
stones  in  earth  mounds  knows  that,  as  regards  palatable 


V.      „ 

>     * 

-      -3 


^    8 


^   I 

E 

i  i 


KENYAHS  AND   KAYANS  73 

cooking,  there  is  something  to  learn  from  the  savages.  It 
is  a  fact  that  Indians  and  Mexicans  prepare  green  corn  in 
a  way  superior  to  that  employed  by  the  best  hotels  in 
New  York.  There  is  no  necessity  of  returning  to  the 
bamboo  and  hot  stones  as  cooking  utensils,  but  why  not 
accept  to  a  greater  extent  the  underlying  principle  of 
these  methods .'' 

In  the  evening  we  arrived  at  Long  Pelaban,  a  large 
Kenyah  kampong,  where  for  some  time  I  made  my  head- 
quarters. On  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river  we  cut  the 
tall  grass  and  jungle  and  made  camp.  Soon  we  were 
visited  by  many  small  boys  who  afterward  came  every 
day  to  look  for  tin  cans.  With  few  exceptions  they  were 
not  prepossessing  in  appearance;  nearly  all  were  thin, 
and  one  was  deaf  and  dumb,  but  they  were  inoffensive 
and  well-behaved.  During  my  travels  among  Dayaks  I 
never  saw  boys  or  girls  quarrel  among  themselves — in  fact 
their  customary  behaviour  is  better  than  that  of  most 
white  children.  Both  parents  treat  the  child  aflfection- 
ately,  the  mother  often  kissing  it. 

The  sumpitan  (blow-pipe)  is  found  in  his  room,  but  the 
Kenyah  usually  prefers  to  carry  a  spear  when  he  goes 
hunting.  In  his  almost  daily  trips  to  the  ladang  he  also 
takes  it  along,  because  instinctively  mindful  of  enemy 
attacks.  The  Kenyahs  are  physically  superior  to  the 
Kayans  and  the  other  natives  I  met,  and  more  free  from 
skin  disease.  They  are  less  reserved  than  the  Kayans, 
who  are  a  little  heavy  and  slow.  In  none  of  these  tribes 
is  any  distrust  shown,  and  I  never  saw  any  one  who  ap- 
peared to  be  either  angry  or  resentful.     Though  the  so- 


74  THROUGH   CENTRAL    BORNEO 

called  Dayaks  have  many  traits  in  common,  of  them  all 
the  Kenyahs  are  the  most  attractive.  They  are  intelli- 
gent and  brave  and  do  not  break  a  contract;  in  fact,  you 
can  trust  their  word  more  completely  than  that  of  the 
majority  of  common  white  people.  Neither  men  nor 
women  are  bashful  or  backward,  but  they  are  always 
busy,  always  on  the  move — to  the  ladang,  into  the  jungle, 
building  a  house,  etc.  Murder  by  one  of  the  same  tribe 
is  unknown  and  a  lonely  stranger  is  quite  safe  in  the 
kampong,  where  they  do  not  like  to  kill  anybody. 

Among  the  Kenyahs  and  Kayans  and  many  other 
tribes  are  found  distinct  social  strata,  upper,  middle,  and 
low.  The  first  class  ranks  as  a  sort  of  nobility  and  until 
recent  times  had  slaves,  who  were  kindly  treated.  The 
members  of  the  second  class  have  less  property,  but  they 
are  active  in  blacksmithing,  making  prahus,  determining 
the  seasons  by  astronomical  observations,  etc.  These 
well-bred  Dayaks  are  truthful  and  do  not  steal.  In  their 
conception  a  thief  will  have  to  carry  around  the  stolen 
goods  on  his  head  or  back  in  the  next  life,  forever  exposed 
to  scorn  and  ridicule.  Third-class  people  are  descendants 
of  slaves  and,  according  to  the  posthouder  at  Long 
Fangian,  himself  a  Dayak,  they  are  the  more  numerous  on 
the  Kayan  River.  These  may  tell  lies,  and  ten  per  cent 
of  them  are  apt  to  a[)propriatc  small  articles,  but  they 
never  steal  money. 

The  Kenyah  woman  is  most  Independent,  and  may 
travel  unaccompanied  by  another  woman  with  a  party 
of  men  for  days,  sleeping  aside,  separate  from  the  men. 
She  and  her  husband  both  bring  wood  to  the  house  and 


KENYAHS   AND   KAYANS  75 

she  does  the  cooking.  No  man  has  ever  been  known 
to  beat  or  kill  his  wife.  If  dissatisfied,  either  may  leave 
the  other.  The  daughter  of  the  chief  at  Long  Mahan  had 
had  three  husbands.  Abortive  plants  are  used,  but  the 
men  do  not  know  what  they  are. 

Every  day  I  went  to  the  kampong,  and  it  was  a 
pleasure  to  visit  these  still  primitive  natives.  Women, 
as  usual,  were  timid  about  being  photographed,  for  it  is  a 
universal  belief  that  such  an  operation  prevents  women 
from  bearing  children.  However,  by  giving  money, 
cloth,  sugar,  or  the  like,  which  would  enable  them  to 
offer  some  little  sacrifice  to  protecting  spirits,  I  usually 
succeeded.  But  if  a  woman  is  pregnant  or  has  care  of  a 
small  child,  no  inducements  are  of  any  avail,  as  an  ex- 
posure to  the  camera  would  give  the  child  bad  luck  or  a 
disease  that  might  kill  it. 

The  women  here  had  the  teeth  of  the  upper  jaw  in 
front  filed  off,  but  not  the  men,  who  make  plugs  from 
yellow  metal  wire,  procured  in  Tandjong  Selor,  with  which 
they  adorn  their  front  teeth,  drilling  holes  in  them  for  the 
purpose.  The  plug  is  made  with  a  round  flat  head, 
which  is  the  ornamental  part  of  it,  and  without  apparent 
rule  appears  in  one,  two,  or  three  incisors,  usually  in  the 
upper  jaw,  sometimes  in  both.  One  of  my  men  took  his 
out  to  show  to  me. 

The  women  are  cleanly,  combing  their  hair  frequently 
and  bathing  three  times  daily.  The  men  bathe  even 
oftener;  still  all  of  them  have  more  or  less  parasites  in 
their  hair  and  frequently  apply  lime  juice  in  order  to  kill 
them.     A  young  woman,  whom  I  remembered  as  one  of 


76  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

two  who  had  danced  for  the  kinematograph,  had  con- 
siderable charm  of  manner  and  personal  attraction;  it 
was  a  trifle  disconcerting  to  And  my  hclle  a  little  later 
hunting  the  fauna  of  her  lover's  head,  llcr  nimble  fingers 
were  deftly  expert  in  the  work  and  her  beloved  was  visibly 
elated  over  the  demonstration  of  her  affection. 

These  natives  do  not  tolerate  hair  on  the  body  and 
pull  it  out  or  shave  it  off.  The  men  even  remove  the  hair 
at  the  edge  of  the  scalp  all  around  the  head,  letting  the 
remainder  attain  a  growth  of  about  sixty  centimetres,  and 
this  is  tucked  up  in  a  coil  under  the  cap.  The  hair  of  eye- 
brows and  eyelids  is  removed  with  great  care.  The 
women  perform  this  operation,  and  tweezers  made  for  the 
purpose  are  usually  seen  among  the  ornaments  that  hang 
from  the  tops  of  their  hats.  I  was  told  that  people  care- 
ful about  their  appearance  have  their  eyes  treated  in  this 
manner  every  ten  or  even  every  five  days.  It  is  a  service 
which  a  young  man's  '*  best  girl  "  is  glad  to  perform  and  a 
couple  thus  engaged  may  often  be  seen.  Truly  the  wiles 
of  Cupid  are  many. 

The  Dayaks  are  fond  of  ornaments  and  the  Kenyahs 
are  no  exception.  The  extraordinary  number  of  large 
tin  or  brass  rings  worn  in  the  vastly  distended  ear-lobe 
is  well  known  and  is  the  striking  feature  in  the  appear- 
ance of  most  tribes.  I  was  told  that  among  the  Ken- 
yahs the  ear-lobes  of  children  are  pierced  when  the  infant 
is  seven  days  old.  Especially  the  women  of  this  and  many 
other  tribes  carry  this  fashion  to  extremes,  the  lobe  being 
so  elongated  that  it  may  be  twisted  twice  around  the  ear. 
The   heavy   weight   of  rings   sometimes   breaks   the   thin 


KENYAHS  AND   KAYANS  Tj 

band  to  which  the  lobe  has  been  stretched.  The  men 
may  also  wear  rings,  though  they  remove  them  when 
going  into  the  utan  or  to  the  ladang,  and,  although  in  this 
regard  the  males  make  less  display  than  the  females,  in 
the  wearing  of  valuable  necklaces  they  excel  them. 

Necklaces  of  beads  are  worn  by  men,  women,  and 
children.  When  money  is  obtained  by  selling  rubber  to 
the  Chinese,  or  by  taking  part  in  an  expedition  to  New 
Guinea,  there  is  much  display  of  such  ornaments,  many 
of  which  are  manufactured  in  Europe.  But  the  Dayaks 
are  extremely  particular  about  the  kind  they  buy;  there- 
fore it  is  useless  to  take  beads  out  to  Borneo  without 
knowing  the  prevalent  fashion.  On  the  Kayan  River  a 
favoured  style  of  bead  is  tubular  in  form,  light  yellow  in 
hue,  and  procured  from  Bugis  traders  who  are  said  to 
obtain  their  stock  in  New  Guinea.  Others  of  similar 
shape,  but  brown  in  colour,  come  from  Sumatra. 

When  children  are  small  they  are  carried  on  the  backs 
of  their  mothers  in  a  kind  of  cradle,  the  outside  of  which 
is  often  elaborately  adorned  with  beads.  The  chief  in 
Long  Pelaban  had  one,  the  value  of  which  I  computed  to 
be  two  thousand  florins.  The  choicest  beads  are  very 
old  and  have  been  kept  for  centuries  in  Borneo.  Some  are 
thought  to  be  of  Venetian  origin,  while  others  resemble  a 
Roman  variety.  It  is  very  difficult  to  induce  the  Dayaks 
to  sell  any  of  these,  which  they  guard  as  precious  heir- 
looms and  the  value  of  which  they  fully  realize.  Accord- 
ing to  Hose  and  McDougall,  the  wife  of  a  rich  chief  in 
Sarawak  may  possess  old  beads  to  the  value  of  thousands 
of  pounds. 


CHAPTER   IX 

HYDROPHOBIA — FUNERAL  CEREMONIES — AT  A  PADDI  HAR- 
VEST—  ANOTHER  TUBA-FISHING  EXPEDITION — THE 
CHARM  OF  PRIMITIVE  MAN — INTERESTING  CEREMO- 
NIES  ON  HEAD-HUNTING  GROUND 

Hydrophobia  was  raging  at  Long  Pelaban,  and  dur- 
ing my  stay  one  man  and  seven  children  were  bitten. 
For  religious  reasons  the  Dayaks  do  not  like  to  kill  dogs, 
so  in  cases  like  this  the  canines  that  are  ill  are  caught, 
their  legs  are  tied  together,  and  they  are  thrown  into  the 
water  to  die  without  being  killed.  Over  forty  were 
disposed  of  in  this  way.  I  saw  one  of  the  hydrophobia 
victims  standing  in  the  water  as  if  alive,  a  little  of  the 
back  showing  above  the  surface. 

The  sounding  of  a  gong  one  day  signified  the  death  of 
a  woman.  A  party  immediately  went  out  to  procure  a 
suitable  tree  from  which  to  make  the  coffin.  Throughout 
the  night  we  could  hear  without  intermission  the  sounds 
produced  by  those  who  hollowed  out  the  log  and  smoothed 
the  exterior.  Next  day  I  was  present  at  the  obsequies 
of  the  dead  woman.  On  the  large  gallery  men  were  sitting 
in  two  long  rows  facing  each  other,  smoking  their  green- 
hued  native  tobacco  in  huge  cigarettes,  the  wrappers  of 
which  are  supplied  by  large  leaves  from  two  species  of 
trees.  A  jar  of  native  brandy  stood  between  them,  of 
which  but  little  was  consumed.  More  alcohol  is  made 
here  from  sugar-cane  than  from  rice.  The  latter  is  the 
better  and  sweeter,  the  former  being  sour. 


FUNERAL  CEREMONIES  79 

At  the  end  of  the  gallery  stood  the  large,  newly 
made  casket,  which  was  open,  the  corpse  covered  with 
cloth  resting  inside.  It  was  an  oblong,  heavy  box  sup- 
posed to  represent  a  rhinoceros,  though  nothing  positively 
indicated  this  except  the  large  head  of  this  animal  at  one 
end,  which,  though  rudely  made,  was  cut  with  considera- 
ble artistic  skill.  The  family  sat  around  the  casket,  one 
man  smoking  tobacco,  the  women  wailing  and  occasionally 
lifting  the  cover  to  look  at  the  face  of  the  corpse.  One 
babi  (pig)  that  had  belonged  to  the  deceased  had  been 
killed  and  was  served  with  rice.  In  the  afternoon,  hav- 
ing partaken  of  food,  a  number  of  men  carried  the  heavy 
burden  on  their  shoulders  down  to  the  river,  preceded  by 
two  women  belonging  to  the  family.  It  was  placed  on 
two  prahus,  which  were  lashed  together,  and  then  taken 
down  the  river  to  be  buried.  After  the  death  of  a  relative 
women  mourners  cut  off  about  two  centimetres  from  the 
end  of  the  hair;  the  men  cut  an  equal  portion  from  the 
front. 

Later  in  the  afternoon  the  gong  announced  another 
death,  that  of  a  child.  On  this  account  some  sixty  Malays 
who  were  camped  here,  bound  for  the  utan  higher  up  the 
river,  in  search  of  rubber  and  damar,  delayed  their 
departure  as  did  some  Kenyahs  who  were  on  their  way  to 
Apo  Kayan,  and  the  people  of  the  kampong  did  not  go 
to  their  ladangs.  The  following  day  the  sound  of  the 
gong  was  again  heard,  but  this  time  it  was  occasioned  by 
the  fact  that  an  adept  had  taken  augurs  from  the  flight 
of  the  red  hawk,  and  to  him  it  was  given  that  illness  would 
cease. 


8o  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

It  was  difficult  to  hold  the  busy  Dayaks  in  the  kam- 
pong.  At  this  time,  the  beginning  of  May,  their  attention 
was  absorbed  in  harvesting  the  paddi.  Every  day  they 
started  up  the  river  to  their  ladangs  a  few  miles  distant, 
returning  in  the  evening  with  their  crops.  I  decided  to 
visit  these  fields,  taking  my  cameras  with  me.  In  years 
gone  by  the  kampong  people  have  gradually  cleared  the 
jungle  from  a  large  tract  of  country,  but  part  of  this 
clearing  was  still  covered  by  logs  that  had  not  been 
burned.  Over  these  hundreds  and  hundreds  of  fallen 
trees,  down  steep  little  galleys  and  up  again,  a  path  led 
to  the  present  fields  higher  up  in  the  hills,  very  easy  walk- 
ing for  bare  feet,  but  difficult  when  they  are  encased 
in  leather  shoes.  For  over  an  hour  and  a  half  we  balanced 
along  the  prostrate  trunks,  into  some  of  which  steps  had 
been  cut,  but,  arduous  as  was  the  ascent,  we  naturally 
found  the  descent  in  the  evening  a  more  hazardous 
undertaking;  yet  all  emerged  from  the  ordeal  with  sound 
limbs. 

We  arrived  a  little  before  noon  and  found  some  of 
the  natives  busy  preparing  their  midday  meal  in  and 
around  a  cool  shed  on  top  of  a  hill  from  where  an  extensive 
view  was  obtained  of  the  past  and  present  fields  of  the 
country.  Near  by  was  a  watch-tower  raised  on  top  of 
upright  logs.  At  one  side  of  it  four  bamboos  of  different 
sizes  were  hanging  horizontally  over  each  other,  which 
produced  different  notes  when  struck,  and  probably  had 
been  placed  there  for  the  purpose  of  frightening  birds 
away. 

The  Kenyahs  "take  turns'*  helping  each  other  to  har- 


KEXVAH  FATHER  AXD  CHILD.    LONG  PELABAX,  KAVAX  RI\ 


ER 


KENYAH  WOMAN    Willi  I.AK(.F.  IIA'^KKT  rsi;ii  l(»K  (  AkKMM.   KM  I       I.(>N(, 
IKLABAN.  KAVAN  RIVEK 


HARVESTING  8i 

vest,  and  on  this  occasion  they  were  assisting  their  chief. 
It  was  a  scene  of  much  animation,  as  if  it  were  a  festival, 
which  in  reahty  the  harvesting  is  to  them.  The  long  row 
of  men  and  women  in  their  best  garments,  with  pic- 
turesque sun-shades,  cut  the  spikes  one  by  one,  as  the 
custom  is,  with  small  knives  held  in  the  hollow  of  their 
hands.  Assuredly  the  food  which  they  received  was 
tempting  to  hungry  souls.  The  rice,  after  being  cooked, 
was  wrapped  in  banana  leaves,  one  parcel  for  each,  forty- 
four  in  all,  and  as  many  more  containing  dried  fish  which 
also  had  been  boiled.  The  people  kindly  acceded  to  my 
request  to  have  them  photographed.  They  then  packed 
the  harvested  paddi  in  big  baskets,  which  they  carried  on 
their  backs  to  the  storehouse  in  the  kampong  the  same 
afternoon.  From  planting  time  till  the  end  of  the  har- 
vest— four  or  five  months — a  man  is  deputed  to  remain 
in  the  kampong  to  whom  fish  is  forbidden,  but  who  may 
eat  all  the  rice  he  wants,  with  some  salt,  and  as  recompense 
for  his  services  receives  a  new  prahu  or  clothing. 

A  few  days  later,  the  chief  having  early  in  the  morning 
taken  omens  from  a  small  bird,  the  inhabitants  with  few 
exceptions  departed  on  a  tuba-fishing  expedition  to  the 
Pipa,  a  small  tributary  to  the  Kayan  River  farther  north. 
The  two  kampongs.  Long  Pelaban  and  Long  Mahan, 
combined  forces,  and  as  so  many  were  going  I  experienced 
difficulty  in  arranging  to  join  the  excursion,  but  finally 
succeeded  in  securing  prahus  and  men  from  the  latter 
place. 

We  passed  a  small  settlement  of  Punans,  former 
nomads,  who  had  adopted  the  Dayak  mode  of  living. 


82  THROrCil   CKNTRAL    BORNEO 

having  learned  to  cultivate  rice  and  to  make  prahus.  We 
found  the  people  of  Long  Pelaban  camped  on  a  stony 
beach  in  two  long  rows  of  rough  shelters,  each  row  con- 
taining many  families  under  one  common  roof  of  bark. 
The  Long  Mahan  people  had  gone  farther  and  camped 
on  a  similar  beach,  and  between  the  two  I  discovered  a 
pleasant  location  in  the  jungle  by  ascending  the  high  bank 
of  the  river.  Hardly  had  we  finished  putting  up  our  tents 
when  a  violent  thunder-storm  arose,  which  continued  un- 
abated for  half  an  hour,  and  thereafter  with  diminished 
force  throughout  the  night.  Many  of  the  Dayaks  moved 
up  to  our  position,  and  next  day  the  river  ran  high,  so  we 
did  not  make  a  start. 

In  the  morning,  after  a  fine  bath,  as  I  was  about  to 
take  breakfast,  a  large  party  of  visitors  from  Long  Mahan 
approached.  They  were  unacquainted  with  the  Malay 
tongue  and  showed  obvious  signs  of  embarrassment,  but 
by  distributing  a  little  candy  to  the  children  and  biscuits 
to  the  adults  harmony  was  soon  established.  Two  un- 
usually attractive  small  girls  wearing  valuable  bead  neck- 
laces, who  at  first  had  appeared  takut  (frightened),  un- 
concernedly seated  themselves  on  their  heels  in  front  of 
me.  The  others  perched  in  a  long  row  on  two  poles 
which  they  laid  on  the  wet  ground,  all  of  them  preparing 
to  watch  me  eat  breakfast.  Among  other  things  the 
menu  included  half  a  dozen  small  boiled  potatoes  brought 
from  Tandjong  Selor  and  obtained  from  Central  Java; 
they  usually  keep  for  four  or  five  weeks  and  are  a  valuable 
aid  in  maintaining  good  health  in  the  tropics. 

The  Kenyahs  had  never  seen  i)otatoes  before,  and  one 


A  KRNVAHS  SWEKTHKAKI    REMOVING  HIS  EYEBROWS  AND  EYELASHES.     LUN(i 
PELABAN,  KAYAN  RIVER 


W  RESTLING.    LONG  PELABAN.  KAYAN  RIVER 
This  is  a  favourite  pastime  with  the  Kenyahs,  Oma-Sulings  and  other  tribes 


-J; 


AMONG  THE   KENYAHS  83 

man  handed  some  of  the  peelings  to  his  wife  for  inspec- 
tion, whereupon  I  gave  her  a  potato,  which  she  peeled 
carefully,  divided,  and  gave  a  piece  to  each  of  the  two 
children,  with  whom,  however,  it  did  not  find  favour.  I 
opened  a  can  of  milk  and  another  of  cream,  for  I  was 
fresh  from  Europe  and  had  plenty  of  provisions.  After 
helping  myself  from  the  cans  I  gave  them  to  the  children, 
who  greatly  relished  what  was  left  in  them,  but  they  did 
not  eat  greedily,  behaving  like  white  children  who  have 
not  learned  from  adults  to  eat  hastily.  The  Kenyahs  are 
very  courteous.  When  a  man  passed  my  tent  opening 
he  generally  called  aloud,  as  if  announcing  his  presence. 

In  visiting  the  camps  I  found  the  Kenyahs,  even  on  an 
occasion  like  the  present,  busily  engaged  at  some  occu- 
pation, and  seldom  or  never  was  anybody  seen  sitting  idle. 
The  men  were  splitting  rattan  into  fine  strings,  later  to 
be  used  for  many  purposes :  for  plaiting  the  sheath  of  the 
parang;  for  making  bottle-shaped  receptacles  for  rice; 
for  securing  the  axe  to  the  handle,  etc.  Women  were 
doing  the  same  work  with  bamboo,  first  drying  the  stalks 
by  standing  them  upright  before  a  fire.  These  fine  bam- 
boo strings  are  later  used  in  making  winnowing  trays  and 
for  various  kinds  of  beautifully  plaited  work.  When  em- 
ployed in  this  way,  or  on  other  occasions,  the  women 
smoke  big  cigarettes  as  nonchalantly  as  the  men. 

Continuing  the  journey  next  day,  we  found  it  a  la- 
borious undertaking  over  many  small  rapids.  The  wa- 
ter had  already  subsided,  so  we  had  to  wade  most  of 
the  day,  dragging  the  prahus,  a  task  which  we  found  rather 
fatiguing,  as  the  stones  are  difficult  to  step  on  in  the 


84       THROUGH  CENTRAL  BORNEO 

water  and  very  hot  out  of  it.  Tlic  river  was  narrow,  but 
here  and  there  widened  out  into  pools.  Many  "bring" 
were  erected  over  the  stream,  and  I  noticed  that  they  were 
smaller  than  those  I  had  seen  before,  but  the  arrange- 
ments for  beating  the  tuba  were  far  more  elaborate. 

On  the  river  bank,  as  we  approached  the  main  camp- 
ing-place, piles  of  the  light-brown  root  were  often  seen, 
resembling  stacks  of  wood.  The  gathering  of  these  roots, 
I  learned,  was  accomplished  in  one  day.  Our  men  had 
helped  in  the  work  and  they  also  put  up  a  couple  of 
"bring"  near  our  camp  for  our  own  use.  Early  in  the 
afternoon  two  rather  solid  structures,  built  like  bridges 
across  the  small  river,  were  erected;  on  these  the  beating 
of  the  tuba  was  to  take  place  next  morning.  In  the 
middle,  lengthwise,  was  placed  a  long,  narrow  excavated 
log,  longer  than  the  bridge  itself,  for  the  use  of  the  beaters. 

In  the  evening  a  large  tree  crashed  to  earth  not  far 
from  my  camp,  and  at  a  later  hour  another,  still  nearer, 
thunderously  broke  with  its  fall  the  silence  of  night.  At 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  beating  of  tuba  began,  to 
the  accompaniment  of  shouts  and  outcries,  and  though 
the  noise  was  considerable  and  unusual  I  did  not  find  it 
intolerable,  but  fell  asleep  again.  I  arose  early,  and 
after  partaking  of  some  excellent  Dayak  rice  I  walked 
down  to  view  the  proceedings,  and  found  the  scene  en- 
grossing. Men  and  women  stood  close  together  on  each 
side  of  the  long  trough,  crushing  the  tuba  with  sticks  in 
a  similar  manner  to  that  adopted  when  pounding  rice. 
The  trough  had  at  one  c-nd  a  small  compartment,  open 
like  the  rest,  but  the  sides  had  been  smoothed  with  an 


X    ■■= 


<    - 


1 


5  a 

a 


rr     * 


H    3 


A  TUBA-FISHING  EXPEDITION  85 

axe  and  when  beaten  served  the  purpose  of  a  gong.  The 
bark  was  pounded  into  small  pieces  and  then  thrown  to 
one  side  upon  large  palm  leaves  which  covered  the  bridge. 

Boarding  a  prahu,  I  next  visited  Amban  Klesau's 
bridge,  a  little  lower  down,  which  was  larger  and  more 
pretentious,  with  tall  poles  erected  on  it,  and  from  the 
top  hung  ornamental  wood  shavings.  The  end  of  the 
trough  here  had  actually  been  carved  into  a  semblance  of 
the  head  of  "an  animal  which  lives  in  the  ground,"  proba- 
bly representing  a  supernatural  being  usually  called  nagah. 
The  owner  himself  was  beating  it  with  a  stick  on  both 
sides  of  the  head,  and  this  made  more  noise  than  the 
pounding  of  the  fifty  men  and  women  who  stood  work- 
ing at  the  trough.  At  times  they  walked  in  single  file 
around  it. 

The  pounding  was  finished  in  the  forenoon,  and  all 
went  a  little  farther  down  the  river  to  take  the  fire  omen 
at  a  place  where  the  river  widened  out  into  a  pool.  A  man 
with  many  tail-feathers  from  the  rhinoceros  hornbill 
{buceros  rhinoceros)  stuck  into  his  rattan  cap  seated  him- 
self on  a  crude  platform  which  had  been  built  on  upright 
poles  over  the  water.  Some  long  pieces  of  tuba-root  were 
lying  there,  and  he  squatted  on  his  heels  facing  the  prin- 
cipal men  who  were  sitting  on  the  bank  south  of  him. 

A  few  minutes  later  the  chief  of  Long  Mahan  made  his 
way  out  to  the  platform  over  some  logs  which  loosely 
bridged  the  space  to  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  attempted 
the  fire-making,  but  after  two  unsuccessful  attempts  he 
retired.  Several  other  prominent  men  came  and  tried, 
followed  by  the  man  with  the  tail-feathers  in  his  cap, 


86  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

but  he  also  failed;  whereupon  they  all  stepped  ashore, 
taking  the  fire-making  implements  and  some  of  the  roots 
with  them,  in  order  to  see  whether  they  would  have  better 
luck  on  land.  The  brother  of  the  chief  now  came  forward 
and  made  two  attempts,  with  no  more  success  than  the 
others.  Urged  to  try  again,  he  finally  succeeded;  the  as- 
semblage silently  remained  seated  for  a  few  minutes, 
when  some  men  went  forth  and  beat  tuba  with  short 
sticks,  then  threw  water  upon  it,  and  as  a  final  procedure 
cast  the  bark  into  the  river  and  again  beat  it.  From  the 
group  of  the  most  important  people  an  old  man  then 
waded  into  the  water  and  cast  adrift  burning  wood 
shavings  which  floated  down-stream. 

In  the  meantime  the  Long  Mahan  people  had  gone  to 
throw  the  bark  into  the  river  from  their  elaborate  bridge, 
and  those  of  Long  Pelaban  went  to  their  establishments. 
The  finely  pounded  bark  soon  began  to  float  down  the 
river  from  the  bridges  as  it  might  were  there  a  tannery 
in  the  neighbourhood.  Presently  white  foam  began  to 
form  in  large  sheets,  in  places  twenty-five  centimetres 
thick  and  looking  much  like  snow,  a  peculiar  sight 
between  the  dark  walls  of  tropical  jungle.  Above  the 
first  little  rapid,  where  the  water  was  congested,  a 
portion  of  the  foam  remained  like  snow-drift,  while 
most  of  it  continued  to  advance  and  spread  itself  over 
the  first  long  pool.  Here  both  men  and  women  were 
busily  engaged  catching  fish  with  hand-nets,  some  wading 
up  to  their  necks,  others  constantly  diving  underneath 
and  coming  up  covered  with  light  foam. 

The  insignificant  number  of  fish  caught — nearly  all 


TUBA-FISHING  87 

of  the  same  kind — was  surprising  and  disappointing. 
Even  small  fish  were  eagerly  sought.  There  was  little 
animation,  especially  at  the  beginning  of  the  sport,  and 
no  spears  were  used.  Several  tons  of  bark  must  have  been 
utilized,  at  least  eight  or  ten  times  as  much  as  at  the  Isau 
River,  and  I  regretted  that  they  should  have  so  little  re- 
ward for  their  trouble.  Five  days  were  spent  in  travel, 
two  days  in  making  "bring"  and  gathering  tuba,  and  they 
had  pounded  tuba  for  eight  hours,  since  two  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  After  all  these  exertions  many  prahus 
must  have  returned  without  fish.  Possibly  the  fish  had 
been  practically  exterminated  by  the  tuba  poisoning  of 
former  years.  One  man  told  me  that  many  fish  remain 
dead  at  the  bottom,  which  partly  accounts  for  the  scanty 
result. 

I  was  desirous  of  having  Chonggat  remain  here  for  a 
week  of  collecting,  but  no  Kenyah  was  willing  to  stay  with 
him,  all  being  deterred  through  fear  of  Punan  head-hunt- 
ers, who,  on  this  river,  not  so  long  ago,  had  killed  some 
rubber-gatherers  from  Sarawak.  Besides,  they  also  antici- 
pated revenge  on  the  part  of  Kayans,  eleven  of  whom 
had  been  killed  by  the  Kenyahs  in  Apo  Kayan  one  and  a 
half  years  previously.  According  to  their  own  reports 
and  that  of  the  Chinese  interpreter,  the  heads  of  six  men 
and  five  women  had  been  taken  after  a  successful  attack 
on  the  two  prahus  in  which  the  Kayans  (Oma-Lakan) 
travelled.  The  Kenyahs  (Oma-Kulit)  who  had  com- 
mitted the  outrage  had  been  apprehended  by  the  Com- 
pany, as  the  government  is  called  by  the  natives.  The 
brother  of  the  chief  of  Long  Pelaban,  who  was  with  us 


88  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

fishing,  three  months  previously  had  returned  from  Sama- 
rinda,  where  he  had  spent  one  year  in  prison  for  having 
been  implicated  in  a  minor  way  in  this  crime,  while  the 
main  offenders  were  serving  labor  terms  of  six  years  in 
Sorabaia,  Java. 

This  report  was  confirmed  by  a  Dutch  officer  whom  I 
met  a  month  later  and  who  came  from  Apo  Kayan.  The 
attacking  Kenyahs  were  eighty  in  number,  of  whom  ten 
were  punished.  The  affair  took  place  in  191 2  at  a  dis- 
tance of  six  hours,  going  down-stream,  from  Long  Nawang. 
Though  head-hunters  are  known  to  travel  wide  and  far, 
and  distant  Apo  Kayan  is  not  too  remote  for  them, 
nevertheless  to  me,  as  well  as  to  Chonggat,  the  risks 
seemed  unfounded;  however,  there  remained  no  alterna- 
tive but  for  all  of  us  to  return  to  Long  Pelaban. 


CHAPTER  X 

IN  FOG  AND  DARKNESS — ^A  RAID  BY  ANTS DEPARTURE  FROM 

LONG    PELABAN — ^AN    EXCITING    PASSAGE RETURN   TO 

TANDJONG    SELOR 

During  April  and  the  first  half  of  May  the  weather 
was  warm  with  very  little  rain,  though  at  times  thunder 
was  heard  at  a  distance.  But  during  the  second  half 
of  May  thunder  and  lightning  in  the  evening  was  the 
usual  occurrence,  with  an  occasional  thunder-clap  at 
close  quarters.  At  night  it  rained  continually  though 
not  heavily,  but  this  was  accompanied  by  a  dense  fog 
which  did  not  clear  away  until  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  When  the  dark  clouds  gathered  about  sun- 
set, it  was  not  with  exactly  cheerful  feelings  that  I  an- 
ticipated the  coming  night.  My  tent  stood  at  a  little 
distance  from  the  rest  of  the  camp,  for  the  reason  that 
solitude  at  times  has  its  charms.  When  the  lamp  out- 
side the  tent  door  was  extinguished,  and  all  was  en- 
veloped in  darkness  and  fog  to  an  overwhelming  degree, 
a  feeling  of  loneliness  and  desolation  stole  over  me,  though 
it  soon  left  me  when  I  thought  of  the  glories  of  the  com- 
ing day,  when  all  the  rain  would  be  forgotten. 

Shortly  after  sunset  one  evening  scores  of  thousands  of 
ants  descended  upon  me  while  supper  was  in  progress. 
In  the  dim  light  afforded  by  the  lamp  I  had  not  perceived 
their  approach  until  I  felt  them  around  my  feet.     Upon 

looking  about,  I  discovered  to  my  astonishment  that  the 

89 


90       THROrCH  CKXTRAI.  RORXFO 

floor,  which  had  a  covering  of  closely  set  bamboo  stalks, 
was  black  with  ants  and  that  regiments  of  them  were 
busily  climbing  up  my  bed.  Coming  in  such  immense 
numbers  and  unannounced,  their  appearance  was  start- 
ling. Outside  the  soil  seemed  to  move.  Twice  before 
I  had  received  visits  from  these  ants  but  had  prevented 
their  entering  the  tent  by  pouring  hot  water  over  them. 
The  pain  caused  by  their  bite  is  severe,  although  of  short 
duration,  and  they  are  therefore  feared  by  the  Dayaks 
and  Malays. 

By  liberal  application  of  hot  water  and  burning  paper 
on  the  ground  we  finally  succeeded  in  driving  the  unwel- 
come visitors  out  of  the  tent;  but  new  hordes  were  con- 
stantly arriving,  and  we  battled  for  two  hours  before  I 
could  retire,  carr^^ing  many  bites  as  souvenirs.  None 
were  then  in  the  tent  and  next  day  not  a  trace  of  them 
remained.  The  Chinese  photographer  had  been  there 
twenty  minutes  before  the  raid  began  and  had  not  noticed 
even  one  ant.     The  attack  began  as  suddenly  as  it  ceased. 

My  stay  on  the  Kayan  River  had  been  interesting  as 
well  as  profitable.  Twice  during  that  period  requests 
had  come  from  the  government  for  Dayaks  willing  to 
join  a  Dutch  enterprise  operating  in  northern  New 
Guinea,  and  the  chances  of  my  securing  sufficient  men  on 
this  river  for  my  expedition  were  evidently  gone.  How- 
ever, with  the  assistance  of  the  government  I  felt  sure 
there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  securing  them  from  other 
rivers  of  Dutch  Borneo,  but  I  deemed  it  wise  to  begin  my 
return  trip. 

The  river  was  now  so  swollen  that  it  was  difficult  to 


KEXYAH  READY  FOR  A  TRIP  TO  THE  LADAXu  MELD.s.     u>si.  PELABAN 
KAYAN  RIVER 

He  is  a  brother  of  the  chief.     Such  trips  are  undertaken  almost  daily 


H.  had  Urcn  impri»oncl  (or  h«vin«  taken  a  minor  part  in  a  hcxl-huniinit  raiH.    Thi.  i»  the  wmc 
man  »«  »hnwn  in  the  illu»lralion  faring  l>aBe  00 


A   RAID   BY  ANTS  91 

effect  a  departure,  and  current  report  indicated  that  if 
the  rain  continued  it  might  be  necessary  to  wait  a  month 
before  the  rapids  below  could  be  passed.  I  had  all  my  be- 
longings packed  in  order  to  be  ready  to  start  whenever  it 
was  found  advisable  to  do  so.  While  waiting  I  went  over 
to  the  kampong  to  kinematograph  two  dancing  girls  who 
the  day  before,  owing  to  their  bashfulness,  had  detained 
us  so  long  that  the  light  became  inadequate.  At  last  the 
river  fell  about  a  metre  during  the  night,  and  the  chief 
and  his  brother  called  on  me  early  in  the  morning  to  sug- 
gest that  our  best  plan  would  be  to  start  in  the  middle  of 
the  day. 

Only  a  couple  of  hours  are  consumed  in  going  to  Long 
Pangian  from  here,  on  account  of  the  downward  course 
of  the  river,  which  forms  rapids  and  currents  at  frequent 
intervals.  As  the  men  appeared  disinclined  to  go,  the 
posthouder  of  Long  Pangian,  who  then  was  with  me, 
crossed  the  river  and  gave  the  necessary  impetus  to  action. 
Soon  a  big  prahu  was  hauled  by  many  men  down  the 
bank  to  the  river;  this  was  followed  by  others,  taken  from 
their  storage  place  under  the  house,  and  shortly  afterward 
we  had  facilities  for  departure.  Most  of  the  boats  were 
medium-sized;  mine  was  the  largest,  about  seven  and  a 
half  metres  long,  but  so  unsteady  that  the  luggage  was 
loaded  with  difficulty.  As  usual  my  prahu  carried  the 
most  valuable  articles,  the  photographic  outfit,  scientific 
instruments,  etc.,  all  of  which  was  finally  secured  by 
tying  rattan  over  it  from  side  to  side.  Naturally,  fewer 
men  are  needed  going  down  a  river  than  coming  up,  and 
I  had  only  four. 


92  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  a  start  was  made  and 
we  proceeded  rapidly  down-stream.  The  man  standing 
at  the  bow  is  the  commander,  not  the  one  that  steers 
with  his  paddle  at  the  stern,  and  it  appeared  to  be 
their  custom  always  to  take  the  boat  where  the  cur- 
rent was  strongest  and  the  water  most  turbulent.  It 
seemed  reckless,  but  my  prahu,  heavily  laden,  acted 
admirably,  shooting  through  the  waves  without  much 
exertion.  After  nearly  an  hour  of  refreshing  passage 
we  approached  the  main  rapid,  Kiham  Raja.  I  kept  be- 
hind the  rest  of  the  fleet,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  get  a 
snap-shot.  In  the  beautiful  light  of  the  afternoon  the 
prahus  afforded  a  splendid  sight  as,  at  short  intervals, 
they  passed  along  one  after  another,  the  first  ones  already 
considerably  lower  than  mine.  My  Kenyahs,  all  stand- 
ing, seemed  to  know  exactly  where  to  go  and  what  to 
do,  and  we  moved  along  rapidly.  Without  a  moment's 
hesitation  we  shot  down  the  kiham.  This  time  they  did 
not  choose  the  place  where  the  waves  ran  highest,  and  we 
quickly  slipped  down  the  rapid,  turbulent  current,  while 
the  big  waves  on  our  right  threatened  to  engulf  our  craft. 

As  usual,  it  was  difficult  to  get  away  from  Long  Pan- 
gian,  but  the  posthouder  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost, 
and  after  a  few  days  we  were  ready  to  leave  for  Tand- 
jong  Selor.  To  a  large  prahu  that  we  had  obtained  we 
had  to  lash  a  log  on  cither  side  to  keep  it  steady.  I 
found  that  the  Kenyah  f)rahus  in  these  parts  usually  are 
unstable.  One  Dayak  that  had  been  loading  mine  in 
stepping  ashore  tipped  it  to  such  a  degree  that  two  large 
green    waterproof    bags    containing    clothing,    blankets, 


DEPARTURE  FROM  LONG  PELABAN    93 

etc.,  fell  overboard.     They  floated   well   and  were  re- 
covered. 

Having  finally  put  mats  on  upright  saplings  over  the 
boats,  as  shade  against  the  sun  and  protection  against 
rain,  we  were  off,  but  it  was  not  altogether  a  pleasant  two 
days'  journey.  My  heavily  laden  prahu,  having  been  out 
of  use  for  some  time,  leaked  badly,  so  one  of  the  five  men 
had  all  he  could  do  to  throw  out  the  water  which  poured  in 
through  the  holes  of  the  rattan  fastenings.  The  man  who 
was  bailing  sat  opposite  me  in  the  middle  section,  and  for 
want  of  space  I  had  to  hold  my  feet  up,  with  one  leg 
resting  on  either  side  of  the  prahu.  I  wore  a  pair  of  Lon- 
don Alpine  boots  with  thick  soles  and  nails,  weighing 
eight  pounds,  which  I  had  found  too  heavy  for  walking, 
but  which  were  excellent  for  wear  in  wet  boats.  When,  in 
order  to  change  my  uncomfortable  position,  I  placed  both 
legs  on  one  side,  the  edge  of  the  prahu  nearly  touched 
the  water  and  the  Dayaks  would  cry  out  in  warning.  I 
have  not  on  other  rivers  in  Borneo  met  with  prahus  quite 
as  cranky  as  these.  At  the  Bugis  settlement  I  bought 
fifty  delicious  pineapples  at  a  very  moderate  price  and 
distributed  them  among  us. 


CHAPTER   XI 

DEPARTURE    FOR    BANDJERMASIN A    PLEASANT   STEAMSHIP 

LINE — TWO  HEAD-HUNTERS — AN  EXPEDITION  TO  LAKE 

SEMBULO SAMPIT  —  THE     ORANG  -  UTAN  STORMY 

WEATHER — A  DISAGREEABLE   RECEPTION 

In  Tandjong  Selor  I  was  exceedingly  busy  for  three 
days  getting  boxes  and  packing  the  collections,  and  early 
in  June  I  departed  for  Bandjermasin,  on  S.  S.  De  Weert. 
It  has  been  my  fortune  to  travel  much  on  the  steamships 
of  the  Royal  Packet  Boat  Company,  which  controls  the 
whole  Malay  Archipelago  from  Singapore  to  New  Guinea 
and  the  Moluccas.  It  is  always  a  pleasure  to  board  one 
of  these  steamers,  as  the  officers  are  invariably  courteous, 
and  the  food  is  as  excellent  on  the  smaller  steamers  as  on 
the  large  ones.  The  same  kind  of  genuine,  good  claret, 
at  a  reasonable  price,  is  also  found  on  all  of  them,  and  it 
may  readily  be  understood  how  much  I  enjoyed  a  glass  of 
cool  Margaux-Medoc  with  dinner,  after  over  five  months 
in  the  utan.  The  sailors  on  these  steamers  are  Javanese. 
Those  from  Madura,  rather  small  men,  made  an  especially 
good  impression.  A  captain  told  me  they  never  give  any 
trouble  except  when  on  leave  ashore  in  Sourabaia,  where 
they  occasionally  remain  overtime,  but  after  a  few  days 
they  come  to  the  office  and  want  to  be  taken  on  again. 
They  are  punished  by  having  their  wages  deducted  for 
the  days  they  are  absent,  but  the  loss  of  coin  does  not 
trouble  them  much.  If  they  have  cigarettes  and  their 
meals  they  are  happy,  and  they  never  accumulate  money. 

94 


DEPARTURE   FOR   BANDJERMASIN  95 

They  are  engaged  for  one  year  and  some  of  them  renew 
their  contracts. 

As  we  sailed  southward  from  the  Kayan  River  we  were 
told  of  a  French  count  who  with  his  wife  lived  on  an  island 
three  or  four  kilometres  long,  near  the  coast.  At  first  he 
had  fisheries  and  sold  dried  fish,  which,  with  rice,  forms 
the  staple  food  of  the  natives  of  Borneo  and  other  coun- 
tries of  the  East.  He  was  enabled  to  change  his  business 
into  cocoanut  plantations,  which  to-day  cover  the  island. 
According  to  report  they  dressed  for  dinner  every  day,  to 
the  end  that  they  might  not  relinquish  their  hold  upon  the 
habits  of  civilised  society.  Later  I  learned  that  when  the 
war  broke  out  the  count  immediately  went  to  France  to 
offer  his  services. 

Lieutenant  C.  J.  La  Riviere  came  aboard  in  Samarinda, 
en  route  to  Holland  for  a  rest,  after  being  in  charge  of  the 
garrison  at  distant  Long  Nawang  in  Apo  Kayan.  There 
are  40  soldiers,  2  oflicers,  and  i  doctor  at  that  place,  which 
is  600  metres  above  sea,  in  a  mountainous  country  with 
much  rain,  and  therefore  quite  cool.  In  a  single  month 
they  had  had  one  and  a  half  metres  of  rain.  Officers 
have  been  known  to  spend  three  months  in  going  from 
Long  Iram  to  Apo  Kayan,  travelling  by  prahu  almost  the 
whole  distance.  Usually  the  trip  may  be  made  in  a 
couple  of  months  or  less.  The  river  at  last  becomes  only 
four  metres  broad,  with  very  steep  sides,  and  in  one  night, 
when  it  rains  copiously,  the  water  may  rise  five  to  six 
metres.  Mail  usually  arrives  three  times  a  year,  but 
when  the  lieutenant  boarded  the  steamer  he  had  not  seen 
a  newspaper  for  five  months. 


96  THROUGH  CENTRAL  BORNEO 

He  expressed  his  opinion  that  the  government  would 
find  it  extremely  difficult  to  stamp  out  head-hunting  in 
Apo  Kayan,  with  its  15,000  Dayaks,  because  the  custom 
is  founded  in  their  religious  conception.  ''Our  ancestors 
have  always  taken  heads,"  they  say;  **we  also  do  it,  and 
the  spirits  will  then  be  satisfied.  We  have  learned  it  from 
our  ancestors,  who  want  us  to  do  it."  "They  often  ask 
us,"  the  lieutenant  said:  ''When  are  you  going  to  leave 
Long  Nawang .?  When  you  are  gone  then  we  will  again 
take  up  the  head-hunting."  These  same  Kenyahs  are 
entrusted  to  go  to  Long  Iram  to  bring  provisions  to  the 
garrison.  About  eighty  of  them  are  sent,  accompanied 
by  only  two  soldiers,  and  after  three  months'  absence  the 
goods  arrive  safely  at  Long  Nawang. 

On  board  the  steamer  were  also  two  Punan  head- 
hunters  from  the  interior  who  were  being  taken  to  Band- 
jermasin  under  the  guard  of  two  soldiers.  They  had  been 
caught  through  the  assistance  of  other  Punans,  and  in 
prison  the  elder  one  had  contracted  the  dry  form  of 
beri-beri.  He  was  a  pitiful  sight,  in  the  last  stage  of  a 
disease  not  usually  found  among  his  compatriots,  no  longer 
able  to  walk,  looking  pale  and  emaciated  and  having  lost 
the  sight  of  his  right  eye.  They  had  rather  wild  but  not 
unpleasant  faces,  and  were  both  tatued  like  the  Ken- 
yahs. Their  hair  had  been  cut  short  in  the  prison.  I 
later  took  the  anthropometric  measurements  of  the 
young  man,  who  was  a  fine  specimen  of  the  savage,  with 
a  splendid  figure,  beautifully  formed  hands  and  feet — 
his  movements  were  elastic  and  easy. 

As  it  had  been  found  impossible  to  secure  Dayaks  in 


DOWN  THE  BARITO  RIVER  97 

the  Bulungan  for  my  expedition  to  New  Guinea,  the 
resident  courteously  offered  to  get  eighty  men  from  the 
Mahakam  River.  This  would  take  at  least  two  months 
and  gave  me  opportunity  to  visit  a  lake  called  Sembulo, 
a  considerable  distance  west  of  Bandjermasin.  It  was 
necessary  first  to  go  to  Sampit,  a  small  town,  two  days 
distant,  on  a  river  of  the  same  name,  where  there  is  a 
controleur  to  whom  the  resident  gave  me  an  introduction, 
and  who  would  be  able  to  assist  in  furthering  my  plans. 
I  could  not  afford  to  wait  for  the  monthly  steamer  which 
touches  at  Sampit  on  its  way  to  Singapore,  so  I  arranged 
to  make  the  trip  on  board  an  old  wooden  craft  which  was 
under  repairs  in  Bandjermasin,  and  in  the  afternoon  of 
June  5  we  started. 

The  steamer  was  small,  slow,  and  heavily  laden,  so  it 
was  not  a  very  pleasant  trip.  As  we  sailed  down  the  great 
Barito  River  on  a  dark  and  cloudy  evening,  from  the  deck, 
which  was  scarcely  a  metre  above  the  muddy  water,  one 
might  observe  now  and  then  floating  clumps  of  the  plants 
that  thrive  so  well  there.  On  approaching  the  mouth  of 
the  river  the  water,  with  the  outgoing  tide,  became  more 
shallow.  The  Malay  sailor  who  ascertained  the  depth  of 
the  water  by  throwing  his  line  and  sang  out  the  measures 
in  a  melodious  air,  announced  a  low  figure,  which  made  the 
captain  stop  immediately.  The  anchor  was  thrown  and 
simultaneously  a  great  noise  of  escaping  steam  was  heard. 
Before  the  engine-room  the  sailors  were  seen  trying  to 
stop  the  steam  which  issued,  holding  sacks  in  front  of 
them  as  a  protection  against  being  scalded.  Coupled 
with  my  observation  that  there  were  no  life  preservers  in 


98  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

my  little  cabin,  nor  anywhere  else,  the  situation  appeared 
disquieting,  but  the  captain,  a  small-sized  Malay  and  a 
good  sailor,  as  all  of  that  race  are,  reassured  me  by  saying 
that  it  was  only  the  glass  for  controlling  the  steam-power 
that  was  broken.  After  a  while  the  escape  of  steam  was 
checked  and  a  new  glass  was  put  in. 

The  old  craft  kept  up  its  reputation  for  rolling  exces- 
sively, and  I  was  glad  when  finally  we  entered  the  smooth 
waters  of  the  Sampit  River.  We  stopped  for  a  couple  of 
hours  at  a  small  kampong,  where  I  made  the  acquain- 
tance of  a  Polish  engineer  in  the  government's  service,  who 
was  doing  some  work  here.  He  told  me  that  thirty  years 
ago,  in  the  inland  country  west  of  Kotawaringin,  he  had 
seen  a  young  Dayak  whose  chest,  arms,  and  legs,  and  most 
of  the  face,  were  covered  with  hair  very  similar  in  colour  to 
that  of  the  orang-utan,  though  not  so  thick.  The  hair 
on  his  face  was  black,  as  usual.  There  were  no  Malays 
at  that  head,  but  many  Dayaks.  I  have  heard  reports 
of  natives  in  the  Schwaner  mountains,  who  are  said  to 
have  more  hair  on  the  body  than  Europeans,  of  a  brownish 
colour,  while  that  on  the  head  is  black.  Controleur 
Michielsen,*  in  the  report  of  his  journey  to  the  upper 
Sampit  and  Katingan  in  1880,  describes  a  certain  Demang 
Mangan  who  had  long,  thin  hair  on  the  head,  while  on  the 
chest  and  back  it  was  of  the  same  brown-red  colour  as 
that  of  the  orang-utan.  His  arms  were  long,  his  mouth 
large  and  forward-stretching,  with  long  upper  lip,  and  his 
eye  glances  were  shy.  Among  the  Dayaks  he  was  known 
as  mangan  (red). 

•  Controleur  W.  J.  Michielsen,  Verslag  ciner  Reis  door  de  boven  distrikten 
der  Sampit  en  Kalingan  rivieren  inMaart  en  April,  1880. 


THE  ORANG-UTAN  99 

About  noon  we  arrived  at  Sampit,  a  clean,  attractive 
village  situated  on  slightly  higher  ground  than  is  generally 
available  on  Bornean  rivers.  The  stream  is  broad  here, 
having  almost  the  appearance  of  a  lake.  As  is  the  cus- 
tom, a  small  park  surrounds  the  controleur's  residence, 
and  in  the  outskirts  of  the  town  is  a  small,  well-kept 
rubber  plantation  belonging  to  a  German.  Sampit  is  a 
Katingan  word,  the  name  of  an  edible  root,  and  according 
to  tradition  the  Katingans  occupied  the  place  in  times 
long  gone  by. 

The  weather  was  remarkably  dry,  so  that  the  tanks 
at  the  corners  of  the  controleur's  house,  on  which  he  de- 
pended for  water,  were  becoming  depleted.  When  the 
fruits  of  the  utan  are  ripe,  the  orang-utan  may  at  times 
be  heard  crying  out  in  the  neighbourhood,  but  on  account 
of  the  dry  weather  they  had  retired  deeper  into  the  jungle. 
Chonggat  shot  only  one,  which  was  but  half-grown  and 
easily  killed  by  a  charge  of  shot.  It  is  often  difficult  to 
discover  an  orang-utan  because  he  has  a  knack  of  hid- 
ing himself  where  the  foliage  is  densest,  and  if  alarmed 
will  proceed  along  the  branches  of  tall  trees  and  thus 
disappear  from  sight. 

This  intelligent,  man-like  ape  is  probably  not  so 
common  in  Dutch  Borneo  as  he  is  supposed  to  be.  Mr. 
Harry  C.  Raven,  who  collected  animals  in  the  north- 
eastern part,  told  me  that  in  a  year  he  had  shot  only  one. 
The  orang-utans  are  generally  found  in  Southern  Bor- 
neo and  do  not  go  very  far  inland;  in  Central  Borneo 
they  are  extremely  rare,  almost  unknown.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  these  interesting  animals  will  not  soon  be  ex- 


loo  TIIROrCH   CI-NTRAL    BORNEO 

terminatctl.  A  Malay,  the  only  hunter  in  Saniplt,  told 
mc  that  some  are  so  old  that  they  can  no  longer  climb 
trees.  WTien  wounded  an  orang-utan  cries  like  a  child 
in  quite  an  uncanny  manner,  as  a  Dutch  friend  informed 
me.  According  to  the  Dayaks,  it  will  wrest  the  spear 
from  its  attacker  and  use  it  on  him.  They  also  maintain, 
as  stated  elsewhere,  that  orang-utans,  contrary  to  the 
generally  accepted  belief,  are  able  to  swim.  Mr.  B. 
Brouers,  of  Bandjermasin,  has  seen  monkeys  swim;  the 
red,  the  gray,  and  the  black  are  all  capable  of  this,  he 
said. 

From  a  reliable  source  I  have  the  following  story. 
Eight  Malays  who  had  made  camp  on  a  small  promontory 
on  the  river,  one  morning  were  sitting  about  sunning  them- 
selves when  they  were  surprised  to  see  an  orang-utan 
approaching.  He  entered  their  camp  and  one  of  the  Ma- 
lays nearest  to  him  instinctively  drew  his  parang.  Doubt- 
less regarding  this  as  an  unfriendly  action,  he  seized  one 
of  the  poles  which  formed  the  main  framework  of  their 
shelter  and  pulled  it  uj),  breaking  the  rattan  fastenings 
as  if  they  were  paper.  The  Malays  now  all  attacked 
with  their  parangs,  but  the  orang-utan,  taking  hold  of 
the  end  of  the  pole,  swept  it  from  side  to  side  with  ter- 
rifying effect,  and  as  the  locality  made  it  inifiossible  to 
surround  him,  they  all  soon  had  to  take  to  the  water  to 
save  themselves. 

My  informant,  who  had  spent  several  years  travelling 
in  Southern  Borneo  buying  rubber  from  the  natives, 
t(^ld  me  that  one  day  his  prahu  passed  a  big  orang-utan 
sitting  on   the   branch   of  a   tree.      The   Malay   j)addlers 


THE  ORANG-UTAN  loi 

shouted  to  It  derisively,  and  the  animal  began  to  break 
off  branches  and  hurled  sticks  at  the  prahu  with  astonish- 
ing force,  making  the  Malays  paddle  off  as  fast  as  they 
could.  The  several  points  of  similarity  between  man 
and  highly  developed  monkeys  are  the  cause  of  the  amus- 
ing saying  of  the  natives  of  Java:  the  monkeys  can  talk, 
but  they  don't  want  to,  because  they  don't  like  to  work. 

The  controleur  obligingly  put  the  government's  steam 
launch  Selatan  at  my  disposal,  which  would  take  me  to 
the  kampong  Sembulo  on  the  lake  of  the  same  name, 
whence  it  was  my  intention  to  return  eastward,  marching 
partly  overland.  One  evening  in  the  middle  of  June  we 
started.  On  entering  the  sea  the  small  vessel  rolled  more 
and  more;  when  the  water  came  over  the  deck  I  put  on 
my  overcoat  and  lay  down  on  top  of  the  entrance  to  the 
cabin,  which  was  below.  The  wind  was  blowing  harder 
than  it  usually  does  on  the  coasts  of  Borneo,  and  in  the 
early  morning  shallow  waters,  which  assume  a  dirty  red- 
brown  colour  long  before  reaching  the  mouths  of  the  mud- 
laden  rivers,  rose  into  waves  that  became  higher  as  we 
approached  the  wide  entrance  to  the  Pembuang  River. 

The  sea  washed  over  the  port  side  as  if  we  were  on  a 
sailing-boat,  but  the  water  flowed  out  again  through  a 
number  of  small,  oblong  doors  at  the  sides  which  opened 
and  closed  mechanically.  The  launch,  which  was  built 
in  Singapore,  behaved  well,  but  we  had  a  good  deal  of 
cargo  on  deck  as  well  as  down  in  the  cabin.  Besides,  the 
approach  to  Pembuang  River  is  not  without  risks.  The 
sand-bars  can  be  passed  only  at  one  place,  which  is  twelve 
or  thirteen  metres  wide  and,  at  low  water,  less  than  a 


102      IHROrCH  CENTRAL  HORNEO 

metre  deep.     The  route  is  at  present  marked  out,  but  in 
bygone  years  many  ships  were  wrecked  here. 

As  the  sea  became  more  shallow  the  yellow-crested 
waves  of  dirty  water  mixed  with  sand  assumed  an  aspect 
of  fury,  and  lying  on  my  back  I  seemed  to  be  tossed  from 
one  wave  to  another,  while  I  listened  with  some  ap[)rehen- 
sion  to  the  melodious  report  of  the  man  who  took  the  depth 
of  the  water:  "Fourteen  kaki"  (feet)  !  Our  boat  drew 
only  six  feet  of  water;  **  Seven  kaki,"  he  sang  out,  and  im- 
mediately afterward,  "Six  kaki!"  Now  we  are  "in  for 
it,"  I  thought.  But  a  few  seconds  more  and  we  success- 
fully passed  the  dangerous  bar,  the  waves  actually  lift- 
ing us  over  it.  My  two  assistants  had  spent  the  time  on 
top  of  the  baggage  and  had  been  very  seasick.  We  were 
all  glad  to  arrive  in  the  smooth  waters  of  the  river.  The 
captain,  with  whom  later  I  became  well  acquainted,  was 
an  excellent  sailor,  both  he  and  the  crew  being  Malays. 
It  was  the  worst  weather  he  had  experienced  in  the  two 
years  he  had  been  at  Sampit.  According  to  him,  condi- 
tions in  this  part  of  Borneo  may  be  even  more  stormy  from 
August  to  November. 

In  the  Malay  kampong,  Pembuang,  I  procured  a 
large  pomelo,  in  Borneo  called  limao,  a  delicious  juicy 
fruit  of  the  citrus  order,  but  light-pink  inside  and  with 
little  or  no  acidity.  After  the  exertions  of  the  night  this, 
together  with  canned  bacon,  fried  ;iii(l  I)oiIed  potatoes, 
furnished  an  ideal  midday  meal.  Necessary  repairs  hav- 
ing been  made  to  the  engine,  next  day,  on  a  (harming, 
peaceful  afternoon,  we  continued  our  trip  up  the  river. 
An  unusually  large  number  of  monkeys  were  seen  on  both 


LAKE   SEMBULO  103 

sides,  and  the  men  sat  on  the  railing,  with  their  feet  hang- 
ing outside,  to  look  at  them.  The  red,  long-nosed  variety 
did  not  retreat,  but  looked  at  us  calmly  from  the  branch 
where  it  sat;  other  species  hurried  off,  making  incredibly 
long  leaps  from  branch  to  branch.  Shortly  after  sunset 
we  threw  anchor. 

Lake  Sembulo  is  about  sixteen  kilometres  long  by 
about  one  in  width.  The  lake  is  entered  suddenly,  amid 
clumps  of  a  big  species  of  water  plant  which  in  season  has 
long  white  odoriferous  flowers.  Very  striking  is  the  white 
bottom  and  the  beaches  consisting  of  gravel  or  sand. 
How  far  the  sandy  region  extends  I  am  unable  to  say,  but 
Mr.  Labohm,  the  chief  forester,  told  me  that  in  the  Sam- 
pit  River  region  northeast  of  here,  and  about  twenty 
metres  above  the  sea,  he  walked  for  two  days  on  whitish 
sand,  among  rosaceae  and  azale,  the  forest  being  very 
thin.  The  comparatively  clear  water  is  slightly  tinged 
with  reddish  brown  on  account  of  its  connection  with  the 
Pembuang  River,  which  has  the  usual  colour  of  Bornean 
rivers.  Low  receding  hills  rise  all  around  as  we  steam 
along,  and  the  utan,  which  more  or  less  covers  the  country, 
looks  attractive,  though  at  first  the  forests  surrounding  the 
ladangs  of  the  Malays  are  partly  defaced  by  dead  trees, 
purposely  killed  by  fire  in  order  to  gain  more  fields. 

After  a  couple  of  hours  we  arrived  at  kampong  Sem- 
bulo, which  has  an  alluring  look  when  viewed  from  the 
lake,  lying  on  a  peninsula  with  handsome  trees  which 
mercifully  hide  most  of  the  houses.  The  kapala  of  this 
Malay  settlement,  who  came  on  board  in  a  carefully 
laundered   white   cotton   suit,   had   courteous   manners. 


I04      THROUGH  CENTRAL  BORNEO 

He  kindly  arranged  for  three  prahus  to  take  us  and  our 
belongings  ashore. 

There  was  a  diminutive  pasang-grahan  here,  neatly 
made  from  nipah  palm  leaves,  where  I  repaired,  while 
Chonggat  and  Ah  Sewey  put  up  tents  near  by.  The  pres- 
ence of  two  easy  chairs  which  had  been  brought  from 
Bandjermasin  seemed  incongruous  to  the  surroundings, 
and  had  an  irritating  rather  than  restful  effect  on  me. 
Both  Malays  and  Dayaks  are  very  desirous  of  securing 
European  furniture  for  the  house  of  the  kapala,  and  will 
carry  a  chair  or  table  for  hundreds  of  miles.  On  the  oc- 
casion of  my  visit  to  the  Kenyah  chief  of  Long  Pelaban, 
in  the  Bulungan,  he  immediately  went  to  a  heap  of  bas- 
kets and  other  articles  occupying  one  side  of  the  big  room, 
dug  out  a  heavy  table  with  marble  top,  which  was  lying 
overturned  there,  and  proudly  placed  it  upright  before 
me  to  be  admired.  That  this  piece  of  furniture  had  been 
brought  so  great  a  distance  over  the  kihams  was  almost 
incomprehensible. 

I  had  a  talk  with  the  kapala  and  a  large  number  of 
people  who  soon  gathered  in  front  of  the  pasang-grahan. 
The  Dayaks  who  originally  lived  here  have  disappeared  or 
amalgamated  with  the  Malay  intruders,  who  in  this  case 
are  largely  composed  of  less  desirable  elements.  It  soon 
became  evident  that  no  information  could  be  gained  from 
these  people  in  regard  to  the  traditions  of  the  place.  One 
man  said  that  if  I  would  wait  four  or  five  days  (in  which 
to  be  exploited  by  the  wily  Malay)  he  would  undertake  to 
bring  me  three  old  men  of  the  place,  whereupon  the  ka- 
pala, who  was  more  obliging  than  the  rest,  went  to  fetch 


LAKE  SEMBULO  105 

one  of  these,  who  pretended  to  have  no  knowledge  in  such 
matters. 

In  order  to  get  relief  from  the  increasing  throng  of 
men  and  boys,  I  went  for  a  walk,  in  which  I  was  joined  by 
the  kapala  and  the  mantri,  a  small  native  police  authority 
whom  the  controleur  had  sent  with  me  to  be  of  assistance 
in  making  arrangements  with  the  Malays.  An  old-look- 
ing wooden  mosque,  twenty  years  old  according  to  reports, 
stands  at  the  turn  of  the  road.  Near  by  is  a  cemetery 
covered  with  a  large  growth  of  ferns  and  grass,  which  hides 
the  ugly  small  monuments  of  the  graves.  The  houses  lie 
along  a  single  street  in  the  shade  of  cocoanut-palms  and 
other  trees.  On  account  of  the  white  sand  that  forms  the 
ground  everything  looks  clean,  and  the  green  foliage  of 
handsome  trees  was  superb.  Everywhere  silence  reigned, 
for  the  women,  being  Mohammedans,  remain  as  much  as 
possible  inside  the  houses,  and  no  voice  of  playing  or 
crying  child  was  heard. 

On  returning  from  our  walk,  near  sunset,  I  asked  the 
kapala  how  much  I  had  to  pay  for  the  bringing  ashore  of 
my  baggage.  "Fifteen  rupia'*  (florins)  was  the  answer. 
As  things  go  in  Borneo  this  was  an  incredibly  excessive 
charge,  and  as  my  intention  was  to  go  by  boat  to  the 
Dayak  kampong  on  the  lake,  and  from  there  march  over- 
land to  the  small  river,  Kuala  Sampit,  I  demanded  to 
know  how  much  then  I  would  have  to  pay  for  twenty  men 
that  I  needed  for  the  journey.  ''Five  rupia  a  day  for 
each,*'  he  said.  Dayaks,  who  are  far  more  efficient  and 
reliable,  are  satisfied  with  one  rupia  a  day.  Those  near  by 
protested  that  it  was  not  too  much,  because  in  gathering 


io6  TIIROrCH   (TNTRAI.    BORNEO 

rubber  they  made  even  more  a  day.  At  that  rate  It  would 
have  cost  me  a  hundred  florins  a  day,  besides  their  food, 
with  the  prospects  of  liaving  strikes  for  higher  pay  all 
tlie  way,  according  to  the  Malay  custom. 

Luckily  the  Selatan  had  delayed  its  departure  until 
next  morning,  so  I  was  not  yet  at  the  mercy  of  the 
greedy  natives.  The  kapala  seemed  to  have  as  little  in- 
fluence with  the  people  as  the  mantri,  who  plainly  was 
afraid  of  them.  I  got  a  prahu  and  w  cat  out  to  the  cap- 
tain, who  arranged  to  take  us  back  next  day,  away  from 
these  inhospitable  shores.  At  dusk  he  accompanied  me 
ashore,  and  In  a  refreshingly  courageous  manner  read 
them  the  text,  telling  them  that  I,  who  came  recommended 
from  the  Governor-General,  was  entitled  to  consideration; 
that  it  was  a  disgrace  to  the  Malay  name  to  behave  as 
they  had  done,  etc.  While  I  was  eating  my  evening  meal 
two  long  rows  of  men  were  sitting  outside  on  the  ground, 
watching  the  performance  with  close  attention. 

Next  morning  the  Selatan  s  boat  came  to  assist  In 
bringing  us  on  board  again.  After  the  captain's  se- 
vere arraignment  last  night  the  mantri  seemed  to  have 
spurred  up  his  courage.  He  said  that  two  rupla  would 
be  sufficient  to  pay  for  our  luggage.  I  gave  one  ringit 
(f.  2.50),  which  the  captain  said  was  ample.  1  he  ka- 
pala, who  had  exerted  himself  to  get  our  things  on  board 
again,  thanked  me  for  the  visit  and  we  steamed  away, 
arriving  safely  in  Sampii  a  couple  of  days  later. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE   WAR  CHANGES  MY  PLANS — CHOLERA — UP  THE   GREAT 

BARITO     RIVER PURUK     TJAHU DECIDE     TO     STAY 

AMONG  THE  MURUNGS — ^A  DANCING  FEAST 

In  the  beginning  of  July  I  returned  to  Bandjermasin, 
where  I  packed  my  collections  and  despatched  them  to 
Europe.  I  decided  to  send  what  goods  I  had,  with  my 
two  assistants,  to  Macassar  on  Celebes,  where  the  Dayaks 
who  were  to  take  part  in  the  New  Guinea  undertaking 
would  also  be  transported.  It  might  be  possible  for 
Chonggat  to  do  some  collecting  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  town.  At  all  events,  it  would  be  more  convenient 
to  have  them  wait  for  me  there  than  to  take  them  to 
Java.  Having  secured  passes  from  the  resident  for  the 
two  men,  and  given  them  recommendations  to  the  Nor- 
wegian consul  in  Macassar,  I  departed  for  Batavia  to  take 
the  last  steps  in  fitting  out  my  expedition  to  New  Guinea. 

At  this  stage  of  my  proceedings  the  war  broke  out. 
On  August  6  I  had  an  audience  of  the  Governor-General, 
who  informed  me  that  he  was  then  unable  to  let  me  have 
either  soldiers  or  ship  for  my  explorations.  The  day  be- 
fore he  had  recalled  his  own  great  expedition  on  the 
Mamberamo  in  Northern  New  Guinea,  and  advised  me  to 
wait  for  a  more  favourable  opportunity,  promising  that 
he  would  later  give  me  all  assistance.  The  commanding 
general  was  equally  agreeable.  As  I  had  never  been 
in  British  India  I  decided  to  go  there  while  awaiting  de- 
velopments regarding  the  war,  so  the  following  Saturday 

107 


Io8      THROUGH  CENTRAL  BORNEO 

found  me  on  my  way  to  Singapore.  Here  I  first  arranged 
for  the  safe  return  of  my  two  assistants,  who  had  been 
left  in  Macassar,  where  cholera  had  broken  out.  Usually 
natives,  who  range  under  the  category  of  labourers,  go  as 
deck-passengers  on  steamers  in  the  East.  Therefore,  after 
I  had  bought  second-class  tickets  for  them,  and  the  Dutch 
Packet  Boat  Company  had  courteously  offered  to  have  a 
man  meet  them  on  arrival,  I  felt  satisfied  tliat  they 
would  have  no  trouble  in  landing.  I  then  continued 
my  journey  over  Penang  to  Madras. 

In  spite  of  the  continuation  of  the  war  and  the  great 
fascination  of  India,  in  April,  the  following  year,  1915,  I 
decided  to  return  to  the  Dutch  Indies  and  undertake  an 
expedition  to  Central  Borneo,  parts  of  which  are  unex- 
plored and  unknown  to  the  outside  world.  Briefly,  my 
plans  were  to  start  from  Bandjcrmasin  in  the  south, 
ascend  the  Barito  River,  and,  branching  hence  into  its 
northern  tributary,  the  Busang,  to  cross  the  watershed 
to  the  Mahakam  or  Kutei  River.  Following  the  latter 
to  its  mouth  I  should  reach  the  east  coast  near  Samarinda. 
This  journey,  I  found,  would  take  me  through  a  country 
where  were  some  tribes  never  before  studied. 

At  Colombo  I  took  the  Dutch  steamer  GrotiuSy  which 
gave  me  a  very  pleasant  week.  The  Dutch  are  a  kindly 
nation.  There  were  fifteen  children  on  first-class  play- 
ing on  deck,  and  I  never  heard  them  cry  nor  saw  them 
fighting.  After  more  than  nine  months*  absence  I  again 
found  myself  in  Batavia,  and  from  there  I  went  to  Buiten- 
zorg  to  ask  an  audience  of  the  Governor-(  General.  He  of- 
fered  to  give  me  all  assistance  in  furthering  my  project, 


CHANGE  OF  PLANS  109 

and  I  had  the  pleasure  of  being  Invited  to  dine  at  the 
palace.  A  large  open  carriage,  with  quaint,  old-fashioned 
lanterns,  called  for  me.  The  coachman  and  footman  were 
liveried  Javanese.  It  was  a  beautiful,  cool,  starlit  even- 
ing in  the  middle  of  June  when  we  drove  up  the  imposing 
avenue  of  banyan-trees  which  leads  to  the  main  entrance. 
The  interior  of  the  palace  is  cool  and  dignified  in  appear- 
ance, and  the  Javanese  waiters  in  long,  gold-embroidered 
liveries,  whose  nude  feet  passed  silently  over  the  marble 
floor,  were  in  complete  accord  with  the  setting. 

Several  weeks  had  to  be  spent  in  preparation  for  the 
trip.  It  was  decided  that  in  Borneo  I  should  be  furnished 
with  a  small  escort.  Further,  Mr.  J.  Demmini,  pho- 
tographer in  the  well-known  Topografische  Dienst  in 
Batavia,  was  attached  to  the  expedition,  as  well  as  Mr. 
H.  P.  Loing,  a  native  surveyor  of  the  same  institution. 
After  much  searching  I  finally  found  a  man,  Rajimin,  a 
native  of  Batavia,  who  seemed  competent  to  collect  birds 
and  animals.  My  kinematograph  was  out  of  order,  but 
fortunately  I  succeeded  in  replacing  it  with  a  second- 
hand Pathe.  The  first  week  in  August  we  departed  from 
Tandjong  Priok  by  steamer,  bound  for  Bandjermasin, 
Borneo. 

On  our  arrival  in  Sourabaia  we  learned  that  cholera 
was  prevalent  in  Bandjermasin,  and  our  steamer  carried 
serum  for  the  doctors  of  the  garrison  there.  Early  in  the 
morning  we  steamed  up  the  river,  viewing  the  usual  scene 
of  Malays  bathing  and  children  running  out  of  the  houses 
to  see  the  steamer  pass.  The  most  urgent  matter  de- 
manding attention  was  to  have  Rajimin,  the  taxidermist. 


no      THROUGH  CENTRAL  H0RNP:0 

vaccinated,  as  well  as  the  two  native  boys  I  had  brought 
from  Batavia.  There  were  nine  deaths  a  day,  but  while 
it  is  unpleasant  to  be  at  a  place  where  such  an  ej)idemic 
is  raging,  there  is  reassurance  in  the  knowledge  that  the 
bacillus  must  enter  through  the  mouth,  and  that  there- 
fore, with  proper  precautions,  it  is  unnecessary  for  any- 
body to  have  cholera. 

A  Dutch  doctor  in  Sourahaia  told  me  that  he  had  been 
practising  two  years  on  the  Barito  River  in  Borneo,  and 
had  gone  through  a  severe  epidemic  of  cholera,  but  neither 
he  nor  his  wife  had  been  affected,  although  their  native 
boy,  while  waiting  at  tabic,  rcll  to  the  floor  and  in  two 
hours  expired.  His  wife  disinfected  plates,  forks,  spoons, 
and  even  the  fruit,  in  a  weak  solution  of  permanganate  of 
potassium.  Of  course  there  must  be  no  alcoholic  excesses. 
In  the  tropics  it  is  also  essential,  for  several  reasons,  al- 
ways to  boil  the  drinking  water. 

The  Dutch  use  an  effective  cholera  essence,  and  if  the 
remedy  is  applied  immediately  the  chances  for  recovery 
from  the  attack  are  favourable.  The  lieutenant  who 
accompanied  me  through  Central  Borneo  told  me  that  he 
saved  the  life  of  his  wife  by  immediately  initiating  treat- 
ment internally  as  well  as  by  bathing,  without  waiting 
for  the  doctor's  arrival,  for  the  attack  occurred  in  the 
middle  of  the  night.  After  three  or  four  hours  she  was 
out  of  danger.  One  evening  at  the  Bandjermasin  hotel 
I  was  startled  by  seeing  our  three  Javanese  men  taking  a 
sudden  and  determined  departure,  carrying  all  their  be- 
longings. One  of  the  hotel  boys  who  occupied  the  room 
next  to  them  had  shown  the  well-known  symptoms  of 


CHOLERA  III 

cholera,  whereupon  they  immediately  decamped.  I  at 
once  informed  the  manager,  who  gave  the  boy  a  dose  of 
cholera  essence,  and  an  hour  later  he  was  better.  The 
next  morning  he  was  still  improving,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing day  I  saw  him  waiting  at  table. 

The  resident,  Mr,  L.  F.  J.  Rijckmans,  was  kind 
enough  to  order  the  government's  good  river  steamer 
Otto  to  take  us  up  the  Barito  River  to  Puruk  Tjahu, 
a  distant  township,  where  boats  and  men  might  be  se- 
cured and  where  the  garrison  would  supply  me  with  a 
small  escort.  Toward  the  end  of  August  we  departed. 
On  account  of  the  shallow  water  the  Otto  has  a  flat 
bottom  and  is  propelled  by  a  large  wheel  at  the  stern. 
We  had  5,000  kilograms  of  provisions  on  board,  chiefly 
rice  and  dried  fish,  all  stored  in  tin  cans  carefully  closed 
with  solder.  There  were  also  numerous  packages  con- 
taining various  necessary  articles,  the  assorting  of  which 
would  be  more  conveniently  done  in  Puruk  Tjahu.  We 
also  brought  furniture  for  a  new  pasang-grahan  in  Muara 
Tewe,  but  the  steamer  could  have  taken  much  more. 

The  evening  of  our  departure  was  delightful,  and  a 
full  moon  shed  its  light  over  the  utan  and  the  river.  I 
occupied  a  large  round  room  on  the  upper  deck,  and  felt 
both  comfortable  and  happy  at  being  "on  the  move" 
again.  Anchoring  at  night,  there  are  about  five  days* 
travel  on  the  majestic  river,  passing  now  and  then  peace- 
ful-looking kampongs  where  people  live  in  touch  with 
nature.  A  feeling  of  peace  and  contentment  possessed 
me.  "I  do  not  think  I  shall  miss  even  the  newspapers," 
I  find  written  in  my  diary. 


112  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

On  approaching  Muara  Tewe  we  saw  low  mountains 
for  the  first  time,  and  here  the  river  becomes  narrower 
and  deeper,  though  even  at  the  hist-named  phice  it  is 
350  metres  wide.  The  water  assumed  a  deeper  reddish 
colour  and  was  speckled  with  foam,  indicating  a  certain 
amount  of  flood  caused  by  rains  higher  up  the  river. 
We  passed  a  family  of  wild  pigs  grubbing  up  the  muddy 
beach  in  search  of  roots.  There  was  a  large  dark  one  and 
a  huge  yellowish-white  one,  besides  four  young  pigs  dark 
in  colour.  At  Muara  Tcwc,  where  we  had  to  make 
a  stay  of  two  days,  the  doctor  of  the  garrison  said  that  in 
the  case  of  the  common  species  of  wild  pigs  the  full- 
grown  ones  are  always  light  in  hue.  Doctor  Tjon  Akieh, 
who  came  here  from  Surinam,  had  some  amusing  monkeys, 
a  native  bear,  tamer  than  most  cats,  and  a  very  quiet 
deer.  In  a  steam-launch  he  had  gone  four  days  up  the 
Ajo  River,  a  tributary  to  the  Barito  from  the  east,  which 
passes  between  limestone  cliffs.  In  that  locality  the 
Dayaks  are  rarely  visited  by  Malays  and  therefore 
have  retained  their  excellent  tribal  characteristics.  The 
men  are  inclined  to  obesity. 

After  leaving  Muara  Tewe  we  passed  many  small 
kampongs  which  were  less  attractive  than  those  at  the 
lower  part  of  the  river.  The  farther  one  proceeds  the 
more  inhabited  are  the  banks.  In  this  vicinity,  eleven 
years  previously,  a  violent  Malay  revolution  which  had 
lasted  two  years  was  finally  suppressed.  As  usual,  the 
revolt  was  headed  by  a  pretender  to  the  sultanate.  The 
steamer  in  which  we  travelled  was  a  reminder  of  those 
days,  for  it  had  two  gun-mountings  on  its  deck  and  my 
cabin,  round  in  shape,  was  lightly  armoured. 


UP  THE   BARITO   RIVER  113 

Puruk  Tjahu  (puruk  =  small  hill;  tjahu=running  out 
into  the  water)  lies  at  a  bend  of  the  river  in  a  somewhat 
hilly  and  quite  attractive  country,  which  is  blessed  with 
an  agreeable  climate  and  an  apparent  absence  of  mosqui- 
toes. The  captain  in  charge  of  the  garrison  told  me  that 
he,  accompanied  by  the  native  kapala  of  the  district,  was 
going  on  a  two  months'  journey  northward,  and  at  his 
invitation  I  decided  to  follow  him  as  far  as  Sungei  Paroi. 
I  hoped  that  on  my  return  a  supply  of  films  and  plates, 
ordered  from  London  and  already  overdue,  might  have 
arrived.  It  was,  however,  a  very  difficult  proposition  to 
have  everything  ready  in  three  days,  because  it  was 
necessary  first  to  take  out  of  my  baggage  what  was  needed 
for  the  journey.  It  meant  the  opening  of  171  boxes  and 
packages.  Convicts  were  assigned  to  assist  in  opening 
and  closing  these,  which  afterward  were  taken  to  a  store- 
house, but  as  I  had  no  mandur  I  alone  had  to  do  the 
fatiguing  work  of  going  through  the  contents.  The  doc- 
tor of  the  garrison  kindly  furnished  me  with  knives  and 
pincers  for  the  taxidermist,  as  the  collector's  outfit  was 
missing  from  the  boxes  that  had  been  returned  from 
Macassar. 

The  Otto  needed  only  one  and  a  half  hours  to  run  down 
stream  to  the  Muara  Laong,  a  Malay  kampong  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river  Laong,  which  we  intended  to  ascend 
by  boats  to  the  kampong  Batu  Boa,  where  the  overland 
journey  was  to  begin.  As  soon  as  we  arrived  in  the  after- 
noon the  kapala  was  sent  for  to  help  in  procuring  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  prahus  for  the  next  day.  I  brought 
twenty-nine  coolies  from  Puruk  Tjahu  to  serve  as  pad- 
dlers.     The  kapala  was  unable  to  find  enough  prahus,  but 


114  THROrCII   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

it  had  grown  dark,  so  we  waited,  hoping  for  better  luck 
next  day. 

Til  the  morning  search  was  continued,  but  no  great 
results  were  obtained.  The  Malays  evidently  disliked  to 
rent  their  boats,  which  were  coming  in  hut  slowly.  In  the 
meantime  our  luggage  was  being  unloaded  to  the  landing- 
float.  Mr.  Demmini  was  able  to  secure  some  large  pra- 
hus,  among  them  a  specially  good  one  belonging  to  a 
Chinaman,  and  the  goods  were  placed  ifi  them.  At 
II  A.  M.  all  the  baggage  had  been  unloaded  from  the 
steamer,  and  having  worked  like  a  dog  for  the  last  few 
days  I  felt  that  I  had  earned  twenty  minutes  for  my 
usual  bath,  applying  tepid  water  from  a  tin  can,  with 
rough  mittens.  According  to  the  opinion  of  those  best 
able  to  judge,  bathing-water  in  the  tropics  should  be  of 
the  same  temperature  as  the  body,  or  slightly  lower. 
There  arc  three  important  items  in  my  personal  outfit: 
A  kettle  in  which  drinking  water  is  boiled,  another  (of  a 
different  colour)  in  which  water  for  bathing  is  heated, 
and  a  five-gallon  tin  can  which  serves  as  a  bath-tub. 

Much  refreshed  from  my  bath,  I  felt  ready  for  further 
action.  In  the  morning  I  had  requested  the  captain  not 
to  wait  for  me,  and  he  had  already  left.  At  12  o'clock 
the  Otto  departed,  and  a  few  minutes  later  our  flotilla 
was  under  way.  We  stayed  over  night  at  Biha,  a  small 
but  clean  Dayak  kampong.  The  Murungs,  as  seen  here 
for  the  first  time,  are  rather  shy,  dark-complexioned, 
somewhat  short  and  strongly  set  people.  They  are  not 
ugly,  though  their  mouths  always  seem  ungainly.  The 
next  day  we  arrived  at  a  Malay  kampong,  Muara  Topu, 


UP  THE   BARITO   RIVER  115 

which  is  less  attractive  on  account  of  its  lack  of  cleanli- 
ness and  its  pretense  of  being  civilised. 

I  soon  realised  that  it  would  not  be  possible  to  over- 
take the  captain,  still  less  to  proceed  overland,  as  our 
men  from  Puruk  Tjahu  were  rather  a  poor  lot.  They 
were  Malays  with  the  exception  of  three  Dayaks,  and  one 
of  these,  an  Ot-Danum,  had  accepted  Islam  and  there- 
fore had  imbibed  many  Malay  ideas.  The  majority  of 
them  were  personally  amiable,  but  physically,  with  few 
exceptions,  they  were  even  below  the  Malay  average, 
having  weak,  ill-balanced  bodies.  I  saw  one  man,  when 
pushing  his  prahu,  fall  into  the  water  twice,  and  the 
men  in  my  prahu  often  nearly  upset  it.  In  view  of  these 
conditions  I  decided  to  stop  over  at  the  large  kampong 
Tumbang  Marowei.  Something  might  be  gained  by  a 
stay  among  the  Murungs,  and  meantime  the  overdue 
photographic  supplies,  much  needed  for  our  inland  ex- 
pedition, would  possibly  arrive. 

The  kampong  created  a  pleasant  impression,  the  space 
in  front  toward  the  river,  which  the  Dayaks  are  compelled 
to  clear  and  keep  clean,  being  unusually  extensive — 
almost  approaching  a  boulevard  on  the  river  bank. 
Along  this  are  four  communal  houses  arranged  lengthwise, 
in  two  pairs,  and  elevated  on  upright  posts.  Between 
the  groups  and  farther  back  is  a  smaller  house.  There 
are  areca-palms  and  other  trees  planted  in  front,  and  at 
the  back  the  vast  jungle  begins  immediately.  Most 
of  the  people  were  absent,  burning  trees  and  bushes 
that  had  been  cut  down  to  make  new  fields  for  rice- 
planting,  the  so-called   ladangs,  but  about  sunset  they 


ii6      THROUGH  CENTRAL  BORNEO 

returned,  and  all  were  quite  friendly  in  their  man- 
ners. 

We  asked  the  kapala  if  he  could  have  the  people  dance 
in  order  that  we  might  photograph  them,  but  he  said  that 
would  not  be  possible  unless  a  feast  were  made,  a  neces- 
sary part  of  which  would  be  the  sacrifice  of  a  babi  (pig), 
whereupon  an  agreement  was  easily  reached  that  I  should 
pay  for  the  babi  six  florins,  and  that  the  Murungs  should 
perform.  The  feast  was  held  one  day  later  and  was  more 
interesting  than  I  had  expected.  It  took  place  in  front 
of  the  house  where  the  kapala  resided,  and  here  a  sacred 
pillar  stood,  by  the  Katingans  and  others  called  kapa- 
tong,  erected  on  the  occasion  of  a  death. 

A  striking  feature  in  Dayak  kampongs,  especially  in 
remote  regions,  is  the  presence  of  such  upright  pillars, 
carved  more  or  less  completely  into  human  form  and 
standing  before  the  houses.  These  are  invariably  for 
the  benefit  of  a  dead  person  whom  they  guard,  and  if  the 
deceased  was  well  provided  with  earthly  goods  two  or 
three  are  furnished.  They  are  made  of  ironwood  and 
often  higher  than  a  man,  but  usually  only  the  upper  part 
is  actually  worked  into  shape,  though  many  instances 
are  observed  of  smaller  statues  the  entire  surface  of  which 
is  crudely  carved.  When  a  death  occurs  many  duties 
are  incumbent  on  the  surviving  relatives,  one  of  the  first 
being  to  make  the  kapatong,  the  soul  of  which  waits  on 
and  guards  the  soul  of  the  dcj)arted  one. 

A  good-sized  domestic  pig  had  been  brought  in  de- 
pendent from  a  long  pole  about  which  its  feet  had  been 
tied,  and  it  was  deposited  at  tlic  base  of  the  kapatong. 


SACRII-ICING  THE  PIG  AT  THE  FESTIVAL.    TUMBANG  MAROWEI 
The  wooden  statue  representing  guardians  of  a  deceased  man  may  be  observed 


MURUXG  WOMEN  SQUATTING  IN  ORDER  TO  OBSERVE  THE  AUTHOR. 
TUMBANG  MAROWEI 


MIPIM.   \I\\    AMI   WIKE.     Tl'M"N^'-    \l\KnUH 


THE  DANCING  FEAST  117 

One  man  held  an  upright  stick  between  the  legs  of  the 
animal,  while  another  opened  the  artery  of  the  neck  with 
one  thrust  of  his  knife.  The  pig  was  next  lifted  up  by  the 
carrying-pole  so  that  the  blood  might  run  into  a  vessel, 
which  was  handed  to  a  man  who  climbed  the  kapatong 
and  smeared  blood  on  the  image  of  a  human  being  at  the 
top.  This  indicated  that  the  feast  was  for  the  benefit 
of  the  soul  of  that  ironwood  statue,  because  it  is  an  in- 
variable custom  for  the  blood  of  a  sacrificed  animal  to  be 
smeared  on  the  principals  of  any  feast  or  ceremony,  and 
this  is  also  done  when  attempting  to  cure  or  ward  off  ill- 
ness. The  same  custom  obtains  in  the  case  of  those  about 
to  be  married ;  or,  if  children  are  to  be  named,  if  a  move  is 
made  to  a  new  home,  blood  is  first  daubed  on  the  house. 

The  pig  was  then  carried  a  little  farther  away,  where 
the  space  was  more  favourable  for  dancing,  which  soon 
began  to  our  edification.  It  was  the  same  type  of  dance 
that  is  universal  among  the  Dayaks  wherever  I  have  been, 
although  other  varieties  are  seen  in  Borneo.  This  princi- 
pal one  consists  of  moving  in  a  circle  around  the  sacrificial 
offering,  which  is  lying  at  the  foot  of  an  upright  rod  to  the 
top  of  which  a  piece  of  cloth  is  tied,  or  at  the  base  of  a 
sacred  jar  (blanga).  The  participants  join  hands,  and 
the  movement  is  slow  because  an  essential  feature  con- 
sists in  bending  the  knees — heels  together — down  and  up 
again,  slowly  and  in  time;  then,  moving  one  step  to  the 
left  and  bringing  right  heel  to  left,  the  kneeling  is  re- 
peated, and  so  on.  The  men  danced  for  a  long  time,  at 
first  by  themselves,  then  the  women  by  themselves,  but 
most  of  the  time  the  circle  was  made  up  of  alternate  men 


ii8  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

and  women.  The  latter,  most  of  them  stocky  and  some- 
what coarse-looking,  danced  uith  surprising  excellence. 
Though  children  of  nature  may  be  without  good  looks, 
there  is  decided  attraction  in  their  grace  and  easy  move- 
ments. 

It  did  not  look  difficult,  so  I  joined  in  the  dancing,  as 
I  have  done  many  times  among  other  races.  Greatly  to 
the  amusement  of  the  natives  I  demonstrated  that  I  had 
caught  the  right  steps,  and  then  seated  myself  in  a  chair 
which  was  the  pride  of  the  kapala  and  which  had  been 
brought  out  for  my  benefit.  While  watching  the  per- 
formance I  was  surprised  to  see  two  of  the  women,  about 
the  only  ones  who  possessed  any  charm  of  appearance, 
coming  toward  me,  singing  as  they  advanced.  Each 
took  me  by  a  hand  and,  still  singing,  led  me  forward  to 
the  dancing  circle,  where  a  man  who  had  been  offering 
rice  brandy  to  the  people  from  a  huge  horn  of  the  water- 
buffalo  adorned  with  wood  shavings,  stepped  forward 
and  offered  it  to  me.  Lifting  it  I  aj)plied  my  face  to  the 
wide  opening  as  if  drinking.  Twice  I  i)retended  to 
drink,  and  after  participating  a  while  longer  in  the  activi- 
ties I  retired  to  my  place  of  observation. 

No  doubt  the  Dayaks  had  gladly  acceded  to  my  wishes 
in  making  the  feast,  because  dancing  and  sacrifice  arc 
believed  to  attract  good  spirits  which  may  be  of  assistance 
to  them.  In  the  evening  there  was  a  banquet  with  the 
pig  as  the  piece  de  resistance;  and  a  young  fowl  was  sent 
to  me  as  a  present. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

DAYAK  CURE  OF  DISEASE — EVIL  SPIRITS  AND  GOOD — ANI- 
MISM— BLIANS,  THE  PRIEST-DOCTORS — ^THE  FEAST  OF 
RUBBER-GATHERERS — WEDDINGS — IN  PRIMITIVE  SUR- 
ROUNDINGS 

A  DAY  or  two  later  the  kapala,  evidently  solicitous 
about  our  comfort,  asked  permission  to  perform  for  three 
consecutive  nights  certain  rites  for  the  purpose  of  curing 
several  sick  persons.  The  reason  for  his  request  was  that 
they  might  be  noisy  and  prove  disturbing  to  our  rest. 
The  ceremonies  consisted  in  singing  and  beating  drums 
for  three  hours,  in  order  to  attract  good  spirits  and  drive 
away  the  evil  ones  that  had  caused  the  illness.  One  of 
the  patients,  who  had  malaria,  told  me  later  that  he  had 
been  cured  by  the  nightly  service,  which  had  cost  him 
forty  florins  to  the  doctor. 

Among  the  aborigines  of  Borneo  whom  I  visited,  with 
the  possible  exception  of  the  Punan  nomads,  the  belief  in 
evil  spirits  and  in  good  ones  that  counteract  them,  both 
called  antoh,  is  universal,  and  to  some  extent  has  been 
adopted  by  the  Malays.  Though  various  tribes  have 
their  own  designations  (in  the  Duhoi  (Ot-Danum)  ijntu; 
Katingan,  talum;  Kapuas,  telun;  Kahayan,  kambae), 
still  the  name  antoh  is  recognised  throughout  Dutch 
Borneo.  Apprehension  of  evil  being  predominant  in 
human  minds,  the  word  is  enough  to  cause  a  shudder  even 

119 


I20  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

to  some  Malays.  There  are  many  kinds  of  both  evil  and 
good  antohs;  some  are  male,  some  female,  and  they  are 
invisible,  like  the  wind,  hut  have  power  to  manifest 
themselves  when  they  desire  to  do  so.  Though  some- 
times appearing  as  an  animal  or  bird,  an  antoh  usually 
assumes  the  shape  of  a  man,  though  much  larger  than 
an  ordinary  human  being.  Caves  in  the  mountains  are 
favourite  haunts  of  evil  antohs.  In  the  great  rivers,  like 
the  Barito  and  the  Katingan,  are  many  of  huge  size, 
larger  than  those  in  the  mountains.  Trees,  animals,  and 
even  all  lifeless  objects,  are  possessed  by  antohs  good  or 
bad.  According  to  the  Katingans  the  sun  is  a  benevolent 
masculine  antoh  which  sleeps  at  night.  The  moon  is  a 
feminine  antoh,  also  beneficent.  Stars  are  the  children 
of  the  sun  and  moon — some  good,  some  bad. 

To  drive  away  malevolent  antohs  and  attract  be- 
nignant ones  is  the  problem  in  the  life  philosophy  of  the 
Dayaks.  The  evil  ones  not  only  make  him  ill  and  cause 
his  death,  but  they  are  at  the  bottom  of  all  troubles  in 
life.  In  order  to  attract  the  good  ones  sacrifices  are  made 
of  a  fowl,  a  pig,  a  water-buffalo,  or,  formerly,  a  slave. 
Hens'  eggs  may  also  be  proffered,  but  usually  as  adjuncts 
tr)  the  sacrifice  of  an  animal.  If  a  child  is  ill  the  Katingan 
makes  a  vow  that  he  will  give  Antoh  from  three  to  seven 
eggs  or  more  if  the  child  becomes  well.  If  it  fails  to 
recover  the  offering  is  not  made. 

The  blood  is  the  more  precious  part,  which  the  Bahau 
of  the  Mahakam,  and  other  tribes,  offer  plain  as  well  as 
mixed  with  uncooked  rice.  I  he  {)C()pIe  cat  the  meat 
themselves,  but  some  of  it  is  offered  to  the  well-disposed 


GOOD  AND   EVIL  SPIRITS  121 

antoh  and  to  the  other  one  as  well,  for  the  Dayaks  are 
determined  to  leave  no  stone  unturned  in  their  purpose  of 
defeating  the  latter.  The  Duhoi  (Ot-Danums)  told  me: 
"When  fowl  or  babi  are  sacrificed  we  never  forget  to  throw 
the  blood  and  rice  mixture  toward  the  sun,  moon,  and 
'three  of  the  planets/"  With  the  Katingans  the  blian 
(priest-doctor)  always  drinks  a  little  of  the  blood  when 
an  animal  is  sacrificed. 

Singing  to  the  accompaniment  of  drums,  gongs,  or  the 
blian's  shield,  and  dancing  to  the  sound  of  drums  or  gongs, 
are  further  inducements  brought  to  bear  on  the  friendly 
antohs,  which  are  attracted  thereby.  According  to  the 
belief  which  prevails  in  their  primitive  minds,  the  music 
and  dancing  also  have  a  deterrent  effect  upon  the  mali- 
cious ones.  Both  evil  and  good  antohs  are  believed  to 
congregate  on  such  occasions,  but  the  dancing  and  music 
have  a  terrifying  effect  on  the  former,  while  on  the  latter 
they  act  as  an  incentive  to  come  nearer  and  take  possession 
of  the  performers  or  of  the  beneficiary  of  the  function  by 
entering  through  the  top  of  the  head.  A  primitive  jews*- 
harp,  universally  found  among  the  tribes,  is  played  to 
frighten  away  antohs,  and  so  is  the  flute. 

A  kindly  antoh  may  enter  a  man  and  become  his 
guardian  spirit,  to  whom  he  occasionally  offers  food,  but 
it  never  remains  long  because  that  would  make  the  man 
insane.  One  must  not  step  over  a  person,  because  a 
benevolent  antoh  that  may  be  in  possession  is  liable  to 
be  frightened  away,  say  the  Katingans  and  other  Dayaks. 
In  dancing  with  masks,  which  is  much  practised  on  the 
Mahakam,  the  idea  is  that  the  antoh  of  the  animal  repre- 


122  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

sented  by  the  mask  enters  the  dancer  tlirough  the  top  of 
his  head. 

The  Penihings  and  Long-Glats  of  the  Maliakam  have 
an  interesting  behef  in  the  existence  of  a  friendly  antoh 
which  reminded  me  of  the  superstition  of  the  **Nokken" 
in  the  rivers  of  Nonvay.  It  Hves  in  rivers,  is  very  rarely 
beheld  by  mortals,  and  the  one  who  sees  it  becomes  rich 
beyond  dreams  of  avarice.  The  Long-Glats  call  it  sangi- 
ang,  a  survival  of  Hindu  influence.  An  old  man  in  Long 
Tujo  is  reported  to  have  seen  this  antoh,  and  according  to 
him  it  had  the  appearance  of  a  woman  sitting  under- 
neath the  water.  No  doubt  other  tribes  have  the  same 
belief. 

The  most  famous  of  antohs  is  the  nagah,  which  may 
be  good  or  evil,  according  to  the  treatment  received  from 
mortals,  and  being  very  powerful  its  help  and  protection 
are  sought  in  a  manner  later  to  be  described  in  connec- 
tion with  my  travels  on  the  Mahakam.  The  nagah 
guards  underneath  as  well  as  above  the  surface  of  water 
and  earth,  but  the  air  is  protected  by  three  birds  which 
are  messengers,  or  mail  carriers,  so  to  speak.  They  are 
able  to  call  the  good  antoh  and  carry  food  to  him;  they 
are  also  attendants  of  man  and  watch  over  him  and  his 
food.  Fowls  and  pigs  are  sacrificed  to  them  as  pay- 
ment. They  are — the  tingang  (hornbill),  the  sankuvai 
(formerly  on  earth  but  now  only  in  heaven),  and  the 
antang  (red  hawk).  As  these  birds  are  called  by  the 
same  names  in  the  tribes  of  the  Katingans,  Ot-Danums, 
Kahayans,  and  others,  it  may  be  presumed  that  their 
worship  is  widely  prevalent  in  Hornco. 


DAYAK  CURE  OF   DISEASE  123 

Among  most  if  not  all  native  races  certain  persons  oc- 
cupy themselves  with  religious  services  and  at  the  same 
time  cure  disease.  In  Borneo,  as  far  as  my  experience 
goes,  these  priest-doctors,  whether  male  or  female,  are 
generally  recognised  by  the  name  blian,  or  balian.  Al- 
though some  tribes  have  their  own  and  different  designa- 
tions, for  the  sake  of  convenience  I  shall  call  them  all 
blians. 

While  there  are  both  male  and  female  blians,  the 
service  of  women  is  regarded  as  more  valuable,  therefore 
commands  higher  remuneration  than  that  received  by 
men.  A  Dayak  explained  to  me:  As  there  are  two  sexes 
among  the  antohs,  so  there  are  also  male  and  female 
blians.  He  or  she  on  occasion  pretends  to  be  possessed  of 
helpful  antohs,  in  some  parts  of  Borneo  called  sangiangs. 
Besides  assisting  the  blians  in  their  work  they  enable 
them  to  give  advice  in  regard  to  the  future,  illness,  or  the 
affairs  of  daily  life.  A  blian  may  be  possessed  by  as  many 
as  fifty  good  antohs,  which  do  not  remain  long  at  a  time. 
Although  in  the  remote  past  men  sometimes  saw  good  or 
evil  spirits,  at  present  nobody  is  able  to  do  so  except 
blians,  who  also  sing  in  a  language  that  only  they  and  the 
antohs  understand. 

The  blian  does  not  know  how  to  take  omens  from 
birds  and  read  the  liver  of  the  pig.  There  may  be  one 
expert  along  this  line  in  the  kampong  and  there  may  be 
none.  The  blians  of  the  tribes  visited  by  me  can  neither 
make  rain  nor  aftiict  people  with  illness.  Among  the 
Long-Glats  I  saw  them  directing  the  great  triennial  feast 
tasa,  at  which  they  were  the  chief  performers.     The  con- 


124  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

stant  occupation  of  the  blians,  however,  is  to  cure  disease 
which  is  caused  by  a  malicious  antoh  longing  to  eat  hu- 
man blood  and  desiring  to  drive  away  the  human  soul. 
When  hungry  an  antoh  makes  somebody  ill.  The  blian's 
rites,  songs,  dances,  and  sacrifices  aim  to  induce  a  good 
antoh  to  chase  away  or  kill  the  evil  one  which  has  taken 
possession  of  the  patient,  and  thus  make  an  opportunity 
for  the  frightened  soul  to  return,  which  restores  the  man 
to  health.  This,  without  undue  generalisation,  is  a  short 
summary  of  the  religious  ideas  which  I  found  on  the  Maha- 
kam  and  in  Southern  Borneo,  more  especially  those  of  the 
Penihing,  Katingan,  and  IMurung.  Further  details  will 
be  found  among  descriptions  of  the  different  tribes. 

Shortly  afterward  we  all  made  an  excursion  up  the 
river  as  far  as  Batu  Boa,  which,  as  is  often  the  case,  con- 
tains a  Dayak  as  well  as  a  Malay  kampong.  At  the  first 
one,  a  forlorn  and  desolate  looking  place,  the  kapala,  who 
had  an  unusually  large  goitre,  told  me  that  eighteen  men 
had  been  engaged  by  the  captain  for  his  journey  north- 
ward from  there,  which  definitely  precluded  any  prospect 
of  ours  for  an  overland  expedition,  even  if  under  other 
conditions  it  would  have  been  possible.  As  for  the  Ma- 
lays, I  found  them  rather  distant,  and  was  glad  to  return 
to  Tumbang  Marowei. 

Here  a  singular  sight  met  us  In  a  sculptured  represen- 
tation of  a  rhinoceros  with  a  man  on  his  back,  entirely 
composed  of  red  rubber,  standing  on  a  float  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  number  of  blocks  made  of  the  same  ma- 
terial. White  and  red  pieces  of  cloth  tied  to  upright  sap- 
lings on  the  float  added   a  certain  gaiety  to  the  scene. 


f  ,     •    T  ^'^  /A' 

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iiii 

THE  BEATING  OF  GONGS  FLRNTSHES  THE  MUSIC  AT  FESTIVALS. 

MAROWEI 
From  a  kinematogiaph  51m 


TLMBANG 


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THE  FEAST  OF  THE  RUBBER  GATHERERS.    TUMB.\NG  MAROWEI 

The  rhino  and  the  rider  are  both  made  of  rubber 

From  a  kinematojraph  film 


.•...,>^    .,„   i-KIKM    l»n<  TOR'..  AT  TLMI1AN(.  MAkOWKI 
Th*  one  ,o  ,hc  ri«he  i,  of  the  Dusun  tribe,  from  .be  Hari.o  River,  the  .mc  ...  .hr  Irf,  i.  .,  Murung 


FEAST  OF  RUBBER  GATHERERS     125 

Some  of  the  kampong  people  had  just  returned  from  a 
rubber  expedition,  and  part  of  the  output  had  been 
cleverly  turned  into  plastics  in  this  way. 

The  rhino  was  about  seventy-five  centimetres  high; 
strong  and  burly  looking,  and  the  posture  of  the  young 
man  on  his  back  conveyed  a  vivid  suggestion  of  action. 
They  were  now  on  their  way  to  sell  this  to  some  China- 
man. The  image  was  said  to  be  worth  from  two  to  three 
hundred  florins,  and  as  there  was  considerable  additional 
rubber,  perhaps  all  of  it  approached  a  value  of  a  thousand 
florins.  Bringing  this  rubber  from  up  country  had  oc- 
cupied eighteen  days,  and  it  was  the  result  of  ten  men's 
work  for  two  or  three  months.  Twice  before  during  the 
last  two  years  rubber  had  been  brought  here  in  the  same 
manner. 

First  they  considered  it  essential  to  make  a  feast  for 
the  badak  (the  Malay  name  for  rhinoceros).  When  go- 
ing out  on  their  expedition  they  had  promised  to  make  a 
badak  effigy  if  they  found  much  rubber.  As  the  man  on 
its  back  represented  the  owner,  there  was  the  risk  that  one 
of  the  souls  of  the  latter  might  enter  his  image,  resulting 
in  illness  for  the  owner,  to  avoid  which  a  pig  would  have 
to  be  killed  and  various  ceremonies  performed. 

The  festival  was  scheduled  to  take  place  in  three  days, 
but  it  had  to  be  postponed  one  day  on  account  of  difl[i- 
culties  in  procuring  the  pig.  I  presented  them  with  three 
tins  of  rice  and  another  half  full  of  sugar,  which  they 
wanted  to  mix  with  water  to  serve  as  drink  because  there 
was  no  rice  brandy.  It  required  some  exertion  to  bring 
the  heavy  image  from  the  float  up  to  the  open  space  in 


126  THROUGH   CENTRAL   1U)RNE0 

front  of  the  house  where  the  rubber  gatherers  Hved,  but 
this  had  been  done  a  day  or  two  before  the  feast,  the  statue 
in  the  meantime  having  been  covered  with  white  cotton 
cloth.  Several  metres  of  the  same  material  had  also  been 
raised  on  poles  to  form  a  half  enclosure  around  the  main 
object.  The  feast  had  many  features  in  common  with  the 
one  we  had  seen,  as,  for  instance,  dancing,  and  a  good  deal 
of  Malay  influence  was  evident  in  the  clothing  of  the 
participants,  also  in  the  setting.  Nevertheless,  the  cere- 
monies, which  lasted  only  about  two  hours,  were  not  de- 
void of  interest. 

The  men,  manifesting  great  spontaneity  and  enthusi- 
asm, gathered  quickly  about  and  on  the  badak,  and  one 
of  them  took  the  rubber  man  by  the  hand.  This  was  fol- 
lowed by  pantomimic  killing  of  the  badak  with  a  cere- 
monial spear  as  well  as  with  parangs,  which  were  struck 
against  its  neck.  The  man  who  was  deputed  to  kill  the 
pig  with  the  spear  missed  the  artery  several  times,  and  as 
blood  was  his  first  objective,  he  took  no  care  to  finish  the 
unfortunate  animal,  which  was  still  gasping  fifteen  min- 
utes later. 

An  old  woman  then  appeared  on  the  scene  who  waved 
a  bunch  of  five  hens,  to  be  sacrificed,  whirling  them 
over  and  among  the  performers  who  were  then  sitting  or 
standing.  The  hens  were  killed  in  the  usual  way  by  cut- 
ting the  artery  of  the  neck,  holding  them  until  blood  had 
been  collected,  and  then  leaving  them  to  flap  about  on  the 
ground  until  dead.  Bkx^d  was  now  smeared  on  the  fore- 
heads of  the  principal  participants,  and  a  young  woman 
danced  a  graceful  solo. 


FEAST  OF  RUBBER  GATHERERS  127 

Having  ascertained,  by  sending  to  the  kampong  be- 
low, that  I  could  obtain  twenty  men  with  prahus  when- 
ever 1  Intended  to  move,  I  discharged  with  cheerful 
willingness  most  of  the  Puruk  Tjahu  Malays.  Their 
departure  was  a  relief  also  to  the  Murungs,  who  feared  to 
be  exploited  by  the  Malays.  As  soon  as  the  latter  had 
departed  in  the  morning,  many  Dayaks  whom  I  had  not 
seen  before  ventured  to  come  up  to  the  kitchen  and  my 
tent  to  ask  for  empty  tin  cans.  The  Malays  had  slept  In 
the  Dayak  houses,  and  the  last  night  one  of  them  carried 
off  the  mat  which  had  been  hospitably  offered  him. 

One  day  there  were  two  weddings  here,  one  in  the 
morning  and  the  other  in  the  evening.  A  cloth  was 
spread  over  two  big  gongs,  which  were  standing  close 
together  on  the  floor  and  formed  seats  for  the  bride 
and  bridegroom.  She  seemed  to  be  about  sixteen  years 
old,  and  laughed  heartily  and  frequently  during  the  cere- 
mony, which  occupied  but  a  few  minutes.  A  man  waved 
a  young  live  hen  over  and  around  them,  then  went  away 
and  killed  it  in  the  usual  manner,  returning  with  the 
blood,  which,  with  the  help  of  a  stick,  he  smeared  on  the 
forehead,  chest,  neck,  hands,  and  feet  of  the  bridal  pair, 
following  which  the  two  mutually  daubed  each  other's 
foreheads.  The  principal  business  connected  with  mar- 
riage had  previously  been  arranged — that  of  settling  how 
much  the  prospective  bridegroom  was  to  pay  to  the 
bride's  parents.  With  most  tribes  visited  I  found  the 
adjustment  of  the  financial  matter  conclusive  in  itself 
without  further  ceremonies. 

The  officiating  blian  took  hold  of  a  hand  of  each. 


128  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

pulled  them  from  their  seats,  and  whisked  them  off  as  if 
to  say:  "Now  you  can  go — you  are  married  !"  Outside 
the  full  moon  bathed  the  country  in  the  efTulgcnce  of  its 
light,  but  being  quite  in  zenith  it  looked  rather  small 
as  it  hung  in  the  tropical  sky. 

The  moist  heat  in  the  latter  part  of  September  and 
first  half  of  October  was  more  oppressive  here  than  I 
experienced  anywhere  else  in  Borneo.  When  for  a  few 
days  there  was  no  rain  the  temperature  was  uncom- 
fortable, though  hardly  rising  above  90°  F.  As  there  was 
no  wind  Rajimin's  skins  would  not  dry  and  many  spoiled. 
Flies,  gnats,  and  other  pests  were  troublesome  and 
made  it  difficult  even  to  take  a  bath.  Itching  was  pro- 
duced on  the  lower  part  of  the  legs,  which  if  scratched 
would  become  sores  that  usually  took  weeks  to  heal,  and 
though  the  application  of  iodine  was  of  some  avail,  the 
wounds  would  often  suppurate,  and  I  have  myself  at  times 
had  fever  as  a  result.  The  best  remedy  for  these  and 
like  injuries  on  the  legs  is  a  compress,  or  wet  bandage, 
covered  with  oiled  silk,  which  is  a  real  blessing  in  the 
tropics  and  the  material  for  which  any  traveller  is  well 
advised  in  adding  to  his  outfit. 

Rain  with  the  resultant  cooling  of  the  atmosphere 
seldom  waited  long,  however,  and  when  the  river  rose  to 
within  a  metre  of  my  tent,  which  I  had  pitched  on  the 
edge  of  the  river  bank,  I  had  to  abandon  it  temporarily 
for  the  house  in  which  Mr.  Demmini  and  Mr.  Loing  re- 
sided, a  little  back  of  the  rest  of  the  houses.  Besides  a 
kitchen,  it  contained  a  large  room  and  a  small  one,  which 
I  appropriated.     This  house,  which  was  five  generations 


TROPICAL  PESTS  129 

old  and  belonged  to  the  brother  of  the  kapala,  had  in  its 
centre  an  upright  pillar  carved  at  the  top  which  passed 
through  the  floor  without  reaching  the  roof.  The  house, 
as  is  the  universal  custom  in  Borneo,  stands  on  piles, 
and  in  erecting  it  a  slave  who,  according  to  ancient  cus- 
tom, was  sacrificed,  in  that  way  to  insure  good  luck, 
had  been  buried  alive  underneath  the  central  post,  which 
was  more  substantial  than  the  others. 

During  rain  it  is  conducive  to  a  sense  of  comfort  and 
security  to  be  safely  roofed  and  sheltered  in  a  house,  but 
usually  I  preferred  my  tent,  and  occupied  it  unless  the 
river  was  too  threatening.  From  the  trees  in  its  close 
proximity  a  species  of  small  frog  gave  concerts  every 
evening,  and  also  occasionally  favoured  me  with  a  visit. 
One  morning  they  had  left  in  my  quarters  a  cluster  of 
eggs  as  large  as  a  fist,  of  a  grey  frothy  matter,  which  the 
ants  soon  attacked  and  which  later  was  eaten  by  the  hens. 

The  fowls,  coarse,  powerful  specimens  of  the  poultry 
tribe,  were  a  source  of  great  annoyance  on  account  of 
their  number  and  audacity.  As  usual  among  the  Malays, 
from  whom  the  Dayaks  originally  acquired  these  domestic 
birds,  interest  centres  in  the  males  on  account  of  the 
prevalent  cock-fights,  and  the  hens  are  in  a  very  decided 
minority.  For  the  night  the  feathered  tribe  settles  on 
top  of  the  houses  or  in  the  surrounding  trees.  Hens  with 
small  chickens  are  gathered  together  in  the  evening  by  the 
clever  hands  of  the  Dayak  women,  hen  and  brood  being 
put  into  an  incredibly  small  wicker  bag,  which  is  hung  up 
on  the  gallery  for  the  night.  Otherwise  carnivorous  ani- 
mals, prowling  about,  would  make  short  work  of  them. 


I30  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

At  dawn,  having  duly  saluted  the  coming  day,  the 
numerous  cocks  descend  from  their  high  roosts  and  im- 
mediately begin  their  favourite  sport  of  chasing  the  few 
females  about.  The  crowing  of  these  poorly  bred  but 
very  powerful  males  creates  pandemonium  for  a  couple 
of  hours,  and  it  is  like  living  in  a  poultry  yard  with  nearly 
fifty  brutal  cocks  crowing  around  one.  During  the  re- 
mainder of  the  day  sudden  raids  upon  kitchen  or  tent  by 
one  or  more  of  these  cocks  are  of  frequent  occurrence, 
usually  overturning  or  otherwise  damaging  something. 
Although  repeatedly  and  easily  frightened  away,  they  re- 
turn as  soon  as  they  see  that  the  coast  is  clear  again.  This 
is  the  one  nuisance  to  be  encountered  in  all  the  kampongs, 
though  rarely  to  the  same  extent  as  here. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

THE  SCALY  ANT-EATER — ^THE  PORCUPINE — THE  BLOW-PIPE 

^AN    UNUSUAL   ADVENTURE    WITH    A    SNAKE HABITS 

AND    CUSTOMS    OF    THE    MURUNGS — ^AN     UNPLEASANT 
AFFAIR 

A  MuRUNG  one  day  brought  and  exhibited  to  us  that 
extraordinary  animal,  the  scaly  ant-eater  (w<2mj),  which  is 
provided  with  a  long  pipe-like  snout,  and  is  devoid  of  teeth 
because  its  only  food,  the  ant,  is  gathered  by  means  of 
its  long  tongue.  The  big  scales  that  cover  the  whole  body 
form  its  sole  defence,  and  when  it  rolls  itself  up  the  dogs 
can  do  it  no  harm.  Unable  to  run,  it  cannot  even  walk 
fast,  and  the  long  tail  is  held  straight  out  without  touching 
the  ground.  Its  appearance  directs  one's  thoughts  back 
to  the  monsters  of  prehistoric  times,  and  the  fat  meat  is 
highly  esteemed  by  the  Dayaks.  The  animal,  which  is 
possessed  of  incredible  strength  in  proportion  to  its  size, 
was  put  in  a  box  from  which  it  escaped  in  the  night 
through  the  carelessness  of  Rajimln. 

A  large  live  porcupine  was  also  brought  for  sale  by  a 
Dayak  woman  who  had  raised  it.  The  creature  was 
confined  in  a  kind  of  bag,  and  by  means  of  its  strength 
it  managed  to  escape  from  between  the  hands  of  the 
owner.  Although  she  and  several  Dayaks  immediately 
started  in  pursuit,  it  succeeded  in  eluding  them.  How- 
ever, the  woman  believed  implicitly  that  it  would  return, 
and  a  couple  of  days  later  it  did  reappear,  passing  my  tent 

131 


132  THROUGH  CENTRAL    BORNKO 

at  dusk.  Every  evening  aftenvard  about  eight  o'clock  it 
was  a  regular  visitor,  taking  food  out  of  my  hand  and  then 
continuing  its  trip  to  the  kitchen,  which  was  less  than 
a  hundred  metres  farther  up  the  river  hank.  Finally 
it  became  a  nuisance,  turning  over  saucepans  to  look  for 
f(X)d  and  othenvise  annoying  us,  so  I  bought  it  for  one 
ringit  in  order  to  have  it  skinned.  The  difficulty  was  to 
catch  it,  because  its  quills  are  long  and  sharp;  but  next 
evening  the  Murungs  brought  it  to  me  enmeshed  in  a 
strong  net,  and  how  to  kill  it  was  the  next  question. 

The  Dayaks  at  once  proposed  to  shoot  it  with  the 
sumpitan — a  very  good  scheme,  though  I  fancied  that 
darkness  might  interfere.  However,  in  the  light  of  my 
hurricane  lamp  one  man  squatted  on  the  ground  and 
held  the  animal,  placing  it  in  a  half  upright  position 
before  him.  The  executioner  stepped  back  about  six 
metres,  a  distance  that  I  thought  unnecessary,  consider- 
ing that  if  the  poisoned  dart  hit  the  hand  of  the  man  it 
would  be  a  most  serious  affair.  He  put  the  blow-pipe  to 
his  mouth  and  after  a  few  moments  the  deadly  dart  en- 
tered the  porcupine  at  one  side  of  the  neck.  The  animal, 
which  almost  at  once  began  to  quiver,  was  freed  from  the 
entangling  net,  then  suddenly  started  to  run  round  in  a 
small  circle,  fell  on  his  back,  and  was  dead  in  less  than  a 
minute  after  being  hit. 

It  was  a  wonderful  exhibition  of  the  efficiency  of  the 
sumpitan  and  of  the  accuracy  of  aim  of  the  man  who  used 
the  long  heavy  tube.  The  pipe,  two  metres  long,  is  held 
by  the  native  with  his  hands  close  to  the  mouth,  quite 
contrary    to    the    method    we    should    naturally    adopt. 


THE   PORCUPINE  133 

The  man  who  coolly  held  the  porcupine  might  not  have 
been  killed  if  wounded,  because  the  quantity  of  poison 
used  is  less  in  the  case  of  small  game  than  large.  The 
poison  is  prepared  from  the  sap  of  the  upas  tree,  anti- 
aris  toxicaria,  which  is  heated  until  it  becomes  a  dark 
paste.  It  is  a  fortunate  fact  that  these  extremely  efficient 
weapons,  which  noiselessly  bring  down  birds  and  monkeys 
from  great  heights,  are  not  widely  distributed  over  the 
globe.  If  one  is  hit  by  the  dart  which  is  used  when  des- 
tined for  man  or  big  game,  and  which  has  a  triangular 
point,  it  is  said  that  no  remedy  will  avail. 

Rajimin,  the  taxidermist,  had  frequent  attacks  of 
malaria  with  high  fever,  but  fortunately  he  usually  re- 
covered rapidly.  One  day  I  found  him  skinning  birds 
with  his  pulse  registering  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
beats  a  minute.  I  engaged  a  Murung  to  assist  in  making 
my  zoological  collections,  and  he  learned  to  skin  well  and 
carefully,  though  slowly.  Judging  from  the  number  of 
long-nosed  monkeys  brought  in,  they  must  be  numerous 
here.  These  animals  are  at  times  met  in  droves  of  a 
hundred  or  more  passing  from  branch  to  branch  through 
the  woods.  When  old  they  cannot  climb.  One  morning 
this  Dayak  returned  with  three  wah-wahs,  and  related 
that  after  the  mother  had  been  shot  and  had  fallen  from 
the  tree,  the  father  seized  the  young  one  and  tried  to 
escape,  but  they  were  both  killed  by  the  same  charge. 

On  account  of  adverse  weather  conditions  most  of  the 
skins  here  spoiled,  in  some  degree  at  least,  in  spite  of  all 
efforts,  especially  the  fleshy  noses  of  the  long-nosed 
monkeys.     A  special  brand  of  taxidermist's  soap  from 


134  THROrGH   CKNTRAI.    BORNEO 

London,  which  contained  several  substitutes  Cor  arsenic 
and  claimed  to  he  ecju.illy  efficient,  may  have  been  at 
fault  in  part,  though  not  entirely,  the  main  cause  being  the 
moist  heat  and  the  almost  entire  lack  of  motility  in  the 
air.  So  little  accustomed  to  wind  do  the  natives  here 
appear  to  be  that  a  small  boy  one  day  jubilantly  drew 
attention  to  some  ripples  in  the  middle  of  the  river 
caused  by  an  air  current. 

My  Malay  cook  was  taken  ill,  so  I  had  to  do  most  of 
the  cooking  myself,  which  is  not  particularly  pleasant 
when  one's  tinie  is  valuable;  and  when  he  got  well  his 
lack  of  experience  rendered  it  necessary  for  me  to  oversee 
his  culinary  operations.  One  day  after  returning  to  my 
tent  from  such  supervision  I  had  a  curious  adventure  with 
a  snake.  It  was  a  warm  day  about  half  past  one.  All  was 
quiet  and  not  a  blade  stirred.  I  paused  near  the  tent 
opening,  with  my  face  toward  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river,  which  could  be  seen  through  an  opening  among 
the  trees.  Standing  motionless  on  the  bank,  which  from 
there  sloped  gradually  down  toward  the  river,  more  than 
a  minute  had  elapsed  when  my  attention  was  distracted 
by  a  slight  noise  behind  me.  Looking  to  the  right  and 
backward  my  surprise  was  great  to  perceiv^e  the  tail-end 
of  a  black  snake  rapidly  proceeding  toward  the  left. 
Hastily  turning  my  eyes  in  that  direction  I  beheld  the 
well-shaped,  powerful,  though  somewhat  slender,  forward 
part  of  the  serpent,  which,  holding  its  head  high,  almost 
to  the  height  of  my  knee,  made  downward  toward  the 
river. 

In  passing  over  the  open  space  along  the  river  bank  it 


ADVENTURE  WITH  A   SNAKE  135 

had  found  its  path  obstructed  by  some  boxes,  etc.,  that 
were  in  front  of  the  tent  opening,  and  had  suddenly 
changed  its  route,  not  noticing  me,  as  I  stood  there  im- 
movable. It  thus  formed  a  right  angle  about  me  scarcely 
twenty-five  centimetres  distant.  At  first  glance  its  shape 
suggested  the  redoubtable  king  cobra,  but  two  very 
conspicuous  yellow  parallel  bands  running  obliquely 
against  each  other  across  the  flat,  unusually  broad  head, 
indicated  another  species,  though  probably  of  the  same 
family. 

The  formidable  head  on  its  narrow  neck  moved  rapidly 
from  side  to  side;  I  felt  as  if  surrounded,  and  although  the 
reptile  evidently  had  no  hostile  intentions  and  appeared 
as  much  surprised  as  I  was,  still,  even  to  a  nature  lover, 
our  proximity  was  too  close  to  be  entirely  agreeable,  so 
I  stepped  back  over  the  snake.  In  doing  so  my  foot 
encountered  the  kettle  that  contained  my  bathing  water, 
and  the  noise  probably  alarmed  the  serpent,  which 
rapidly  glided  down  the  little  embankment,  where  it  soon 
reached  the  grass  next  to  the  river  and  disappeared. 
It  was  a  magnificent  sight  to  watch  the  reptile,  about  two 
and  a  half  metres  in  length,  jet  black  and  perfectly  formed, 
moving  swiftly  among  the  trees.  The  Malays  call  this 
snake,  whose  venom  is  deadly,  ular  hanjalivan,  and  ac- 
cording to  the  Murungs  a  full-grown  man  dies  within  half 
an  hour  from  its  bite.  This  species  appears  to  be  fairly 
numerous  here. 

At  times  the  natives  here  showed  no  disinclination  to 
being  photographed,  but  they  wanted  wang  (money)  for 
posing.     Usually  I  had  to  pay  one  florin  to  each,  or  fifty 


136  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

cents  if  the  hair  was  not  long.  At  other  times  nothing 
would  induce  tlicm  to  submit  to  the  camera.  A  young 
woman  recently  married  had  a  rinv  w  ith  her  husband  one 
night,  and  the  affair  became  very  boisterous,  when  sud- 
denly they  came  to  terms.  The  trouble  arose  through 
her  desire  to  earn  some  pin-money  by  being  photographed 
in  the  act  of  climbing  an  areca  palm,  a  proceeding  which 
did  not  meet  with  his  approval. 

There  were  three  female  blians  in  the  kampong 
whom  I  desired  to  photograph  as  they  performed  the 
dances  connected  with  their  office,  but  the  compensation 
they  demanded  was  so  exorbitant  (two  hundred  florins  in 
cash  and  nine  tins  of  rice)  that  we  did  not  reach  an 
agreement.  Later  in  the  day  they  reduced  their  demand 
to  thirty  florins  for  a  pig  to  be  used  at  the  dancing, 
which  proposition  I  also  declined,  the  amount  named 
being  at  least  six  times  the  value  of  the  animal,  but  I 
was  more  fortunate  in  my  dealings  with  the  two  male 
blians  of  the  place,  one  of  them  a  Dusun,  and  succeeded 
in  inducing  them  to  dance  for  me  one  forenoon. 

The  two  men  wore  short  sarongs  around  their  loins, 
the  women's  dress,  though  somewhat  shorter;  otherwise 
they  were  nude  except  for  bands,  to  which  numerous 
small  metal  rattles  were  attached,  running  over  either 
shoulder  and  diagonally  across  chest  and  back.  After  a 
preliminary  trial,  during  which  one  of  them  danced  with 
much  elan,  he  said:  "I  felt  a  spirit  come  down  in  my 
body.  This  will  go  well."  The  music  was  provided  by 
two  men  who  sat  upon  long  drums  and  beat  them  with 
fervour  and  abandon.     The  dance  was  a  spirited  move- 


iMURLXG  WOMEN  SMOKIXG  CKiARETTES  AXD  PREPARING  THEM  PROM 

NATI\  E  TOBACCO  AND  LEAVES  OF  TREES.     TUMBANG  MAROWEI 

From  a  kinematograph  film 


THE  SCALY  AXT-EATER    .U.l.V/5>.     TUMRANG  ^L\RO\VEI 


FOLKLORE  TALES  137 

ment  forward  and  backward  with  peculiar  steps  accom- 
panied by  the  swaying  of  the  body.  The  evolutions  of 
the  two  dancers  were  slightly  different. 

In  October  a  patrouille  of  seventeen  native  soldiers 
and  nine  native  convicts,  under  command  of  a  lieutenant, 
passed  through  the  kampong.  In  the  same  month  in 
1907  a  patrouille  had  been  killed  here  by  the  Murungs. 
It  must  be  admitted  that  the  Dayaks  had  reason  to  be 
aggrieved  against  the  lieutenant,  who  had  sent  two 
Malays  from  Tumbang  Topu  to  bring  to  him  the  kapala's 
attractive  wife — an  order  which  was  obeyed  with  a  tragic 
sequence.  The  following  night,  which  the  military  con- 
tingent passed  at  the  kampong  of  the  outraged  kapala, 
the  lieutenant  and  thirteen  soldiers  were  killed.  Of 
course  the  Dayaks  had  to  be  punished;  the  government, 
however,  took  the  provocation  into  account. 

The  kapala's  wife  and  a  female  companion  demanded 
two  florins  each  for  telling  folklore,  whereupon  I  ex- 
pressed a  wish  first  to  hear  what  they  were  able  to  tell. 
The  companion  insisted  on  the  money  first,  but  the 
kapala's  wife,  who  was  a  very  nice  woman,  began  to 
sing,  her  friend  frequently  joining  in  the  song.  This 
was  the  initial  prayer,  without  which  there  could  be  no 
story-telling.  She  was  a  blian,  and  her  way  of  relating 
legends  was  to  delineate  stories  in  song  form,  she  in- 
formed me.  As  there  was  nobody  to  interpret  I  was 
reluctantly  compelled  to  dispense  with  her  demon- 
stration, although  I  had  found  it  interesting  to  watch 
the  strange  expression  of  her  eyes  as  she  sang  and  the 
trance-like  appearance  she  maintained.     Another  notice- 


138  THROIGH   CENTRAL    IJURNEO 

able  fact  was  tin-  intense  attachment  of  her  dogs,  which 
centred  their  eyes  constantly  upon  her  and  accompanied 
her  movements  uith  strange  guttural  sounds. 

With  the  Murungs,  six  teeth  in  the  upper  front  jaw 
and  six  in  the  under  one  are  filed  off,  and  there  is  no 
pain  associated  with  the  operation.  The  kapala  had  had 
his  teeth  cut  three  times,  first  as  a  boy,  then  when  he 
had  one  child,  and  again  when  he  had  four  children. 
The  teeth  of  one  of  the  blians  had  been  filed  twice,  once 
when  he  was  a  boy  and  again  when  he  had  two  children. 

If  a  man  has  the  means  he  is  free  to  take  four  wives, 
who  may  all  be  sisters  if  he  so  desires.  As  to  the  number 
of  wives  a  man  is  allowed  to  acquire,  no  exception  is 
made  in  regard  to  the  kapala.  A  brother  is  permitted 
to  marry  his  sister,  and  my  informant  said  that  the  chil- 
dren resulting  from  this  union  are  strong;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  it  is  forbidden  for  cousins  to  marry,  and  a  still 
worse  offence  is  for  a  man  to  marry  the  mother  of  his 
wife  or  the  sister  of  one's  father  or  mother.  If  that 
transgression  has  been  committed  the  culprit  must  pay 
from  one  to  two  hundred  rupias,  or  if  he  cannot  pay  he 
must  be  killed  with  parang  or  klevang  (long  knife). 
The  children  of  such  union  are  believed  to  become  weak. 

When  twelve  years  of  age  girls  are  regarded  as  mar- 
riageable, and  sexual  relations  are  absolutely  free  until 
marriage;  in  fact,  if  she  chooses  to  have  a  young  man 
share  her  mat  it  is  considered  by  no  means  improper. 
If  a  girl  should  be  left  with  ciiild  and  the  father  cannot 
be  found  she  is  married  to  somebody  else,  though  no 
man  is  forced  to  wed  her.     Marriage  relations  are  very 


FUNERAL  CUSTOMS  i39 

strict  and  heavy  fines  are  imposed  on  people  at  fault, 
but  divorces  may  be  had  provided  payment  is  made, 
and  a  widow  may  remarry  if  she  desires  to  do  so. 

When  a  person  dies  there  is  much  waiHng,  and  if  the 
deceased  is  a  father  or  mother  people  of  the  same  house 
do  not  sleep  for  three  days.  The  corpse  remains  in  the 
house  three  days,  during  which  time  a  root  called  javau 
is  eaten  instead  of  rice,  babi  and  bananas  being  also  per- 
missible. The  body  is  washed  and  wrapped  in  white 
cotton  cloth,  bought  from  Malay  traders,  and  placed  in 
a  coffin  made  of  iron-wood.  As  the  coffin  must  not  be 
carried  through  the  door,  the  house  wall  is  broken  open 
for  it  to  pass  on  its  way  to  a  cemetery  in  the  utan.  Some- 
times as  soon  as  one  year  afterward,  but  usually  much 
later,  the  coffin  is  opened,  the  bones  are  cleaned  with 
water  and  soap  and  placed  in  a  new  box  of  the  same 
material  or  in  a  gutshi,  an  earthen  jar  bought  from  the 
Chinese.  The  box  or  jar  is  then  deposited  in  a  sub- 
terranean chamber  made  of  iron-wood,  called  kobur  by 
both  Malays  and  Murungs,  where  in  addition  are  left 
the  personal  effects  of  the  deceased, — clothing,  beads,  and 
other  ornaments, — and,  if  a  man,  also  his  sumpitan, 
parang,  axe,  etc.  This  disposition  of  the  bones  is  ac- 
companied by  a  very  elaborate  feast,  generally  called 
tiwah,  to  the  preparation  of  which  much  time  is  devoted. 

According  to  a  conception  which  is  more  or  less  gen- 
eral among  the  Dayaks,  conditions  surrounding  the 
final  home  of  the  departed  soul  are  on  the  whole  similar 
to  those  existing  here,  but  before  the  tiwah  feast  has 
been  observed  the  soul  is  compelled  to  roam  about  in  the 


I40  THROUGH   CENTRAL    1K)RNE0 

jungle  three  or  four  years,  or  longer,  until  that  event 
takes  place.  This  elaborate  ceremony  is  offered  by  sur- 
viving relatives  as  an  equivalent  for  whatever  was  left 
behind  by  the  deceased,  whose  ghost  is  regarded  with 
apprehension. 

Fortunately  the  Murungs  were  then  preparing  for 
such  an  observance  at  the  Bundang  kampong  higher  up 
the  river  where  I  intended  to  visit.  They  were  making 
ready  to  dispose  of  the  remains  of  no  less  a  personage 
than  the  mother  of  our  kapala.  A  water-buffalo  would 
be  killed  and  the  festival  would  last  for  a  week.  In 
three  years  there  would  be  another  festal  occasion  of 
two  weeks'  duration,  at  which  a  water-buffalo  would 
again  be  sacrificed,  and  when  a  second  period  of  three 
years  has  elapsed  the  final  celebration  of  three  weeks' 
duration  will  be  given,  with  the  same  sacrificial  offer- 
ing. Thus  the  occasions  are  seen  to  be  of  increasing 
magnitude  and  the  expenses  in  this  case  to  be  on  a  rising 
scale.     It  was  comparatively  a  small  affair. 

About  a  month  later,  when  I  stopped  at  Buntok,  on 
the  Barito,  the  controleur  of  the  district  told  me  that 
an  unusually  great  tiwah  feast  had  just  been  concluded 
in  the  neighbourhood.  He  had  spent  ten  days  there, 
the  Dayaks  having  erected  a  house  for  him  to  stay  in. 
More  than  two  hundred  pigs  and  nineteen  water-buffaloes 
had  been  killed.  Over  three  hundred  bodies,  or  rather 
remains  of  bodies,  had  previously  been  exhumed  and 
placed  in  forty  boxes,  for  the  accommodation  of  which  a 
special  house  had  been  constructed.  These,  with  con- 
tents, were  burned  and  the  remains  deposited  in  ten  re- 


FUNERAL  CUSTOMS  141 

ceptacles  made  of  iron-wood,  those  belonging  to  one  fam- 
ily being  put  in  the  same  container. 

Some  of  the  Dayaks  were  much  preoccupied  with 
preparations  for  the  Bundang  ceremony,  which  was 
postponed  again  and  again.  They  encouraged  me  to 
participate  in  the  festivities,  representing  it  as  a 
wonderful  affair.  I  presented  them  with  money  to  buy 
a  sack  of  rice  for  the  coming  occasion,  and  some  of  them 
went  at  once  to  Puruk  Tjahu  to  purchase  it.  Having 
overcome  the  usual  difficulties  in  regard  to  getting 
prahus  and  men,  and  Mr.  Demmini  having  recovered 
from  a  week's  illness,  I  was  finally,  early  in  November, 
able  to  move  on.  Several  people  from  our  kampong  went 
the  same  day,  and  it  looked  as  if  the  feast  were  really 
about  to  take  place. 

We  proceeded  with  uneventful  rapidity  up-stream  on 
a  lovely  day,  warm  but  not  oppressively  so,  and  in  the 
afternoon  arrived  at  Bundang,  which  is  a  pleasant  little 
kampong.  The  Dayaks  here  have  three  small  houses 
and  the  Malays  have  five  still  smaller.  A  big  water- 
buffalo,  which  had  been  brought  from  far  away  to  be 
sacrificed  at  the  coming  ceremonial,  was  grazing  in  a 
small  field  near  by.  The  surrounding  scenery  was  at- 
tractive, having  in  the  background  a  jungle-clad  moun- 
tain some  distance  away,  which  was  called  by  the  same 
name  as  the  kampong,  and  which,  in  the  clear  air  against 
the  blue  sky,  completed  a  charming  picture.  We  found 
a  primitive,  tiny  pasang-grahan,  inconveniently  small 
for  more  than  one  person,  and  there  was  hardly  space  on 
which  to  erect  my  tent. 


142  TIIROrCH   CFNTRM.    1U)RNE0 

There  appeared  to  be  more  Siangs  than  ISIiirungs 
here,  the  fornuT,  uho  are  neighbours  and  evidently  al- 
hed  to  the  latter,  occupying  the  inland  to  the  north  of 
the  great  rivers  on  which  the  Murungs  are  chiefly  settled, 
part  of  the  Barito  and  the  Laong.  They  were  shy, 
friendly  natives,  and  distinguished  by  well-grown  mus- 
taches, an  appendage  I  also  later  noted  among  the  Upper 
Katingans.  The  people  told  me  that  I  might  photo- 
graph the  arrangements  incident  to  the  feast  as  much  as 
I  desired,  and  also  promised  to  furnish  prahus  and  men 
when  I  wished  to  leave. 

The  following  day  Mr.  Demmini  seemed  worse  than 
before,  being  unable  to  sleep  and  without  appetite.  The 
festival  was  to  begin  in  two  days,  but  much  to  my  re- 
gret there  seemed  nothing  else  to  do  but  to  return  to 
Puruk  Tjahu.  The  Dayaks  proposed  to  take  the  sick 
man  there  if  I  would  remain,  but  he  protested  against 
this,  and  I  decided  that  we  shoukl  all  leave  the  following 
day.  In  the  evening  I  attended  the  dancing  of  the 
Dayak  women  around  an  artificial  tree  made  up  of  bam- 
boo stalks  and  branches  so  as  to  form  a  very  thick  trunk. 
The  dancing  at  the  tiwa  feast,  or  connected  with  it,  is  of 
a  different  character  and  meaning  from  the  general  |)er- 
formance  which  is  to  attract  good  antohs.  This  one  is 
meant  to  give  pleasure  to  the  departed  soul.  1  he  scene 
was  inside  one  of  the  houses,  and  fourteen  or  fifteen  dilTer- 
ent  dances  were  performed,  one  of  them  obscene,  but  pre- 
sented and  accepted  with  the  same  seriousness  as  the  other 
varieties.  Some  small  girls  danced  extraordinarily  well, 
and  their  movements  were  fairylikc  in   unaffected  grace. 


AN  UNPLEASANT  AFFAIR  i43 

Enjoying  the  very  pleasant  air  after  the  night's  rain, 
we  travelled  rapidly  down-stream  on  the  swollen  river  to 
Tumbang  Marowei,  where  we  spent  the  night.  There 
were  twenty  men  from  the  kampong  eager  to  accompany 
me  on  my  further  journey,  but  they  were  swayed  to  and 
fro  according  to  the  dictates  of  the  kapala,  who  was  res- 
olutely opposed  to  letting  other  kampongs  obtain  posses- 
sion of  us.  He  wanted  to  reserve  for  himself  and  the 
kampong  the  advantages  accruing  from  our  need  of 
prahus  and  men.  To  his  chagrin,  in  the  morning  there 
arrived  a  large  prahu  with  four  Murungs  from  Batu 
Boa,  who  also  wanted  a  chance  at  this  bonanza,  where- 
upon the  kapala  began  to  develop  schemes  to  harass  us 
and  to  compel  me  to  pay  more. 

Without  any  reason  whatsoever,  he  said  that  only  ten 
of  the  twenty  men  I  had  engaged  would  be  able  to  go. 
This  did  not  frighten  me  much,  as  the  river  was  swollen 
and  the  current  strong,  so  that  one  man  in  each  of  our 
prahus  would  be  sufficient  to  allow  us  to  drift  down  to  the 
nearest  Malay  kampong,  where  I  had  been  promised 
men  some  time  before.  At  first  I  was  quite  concerned 
about  the  loading  of  the  prahus,  as  the  natives  all  ex- 
hibited a  marked  disinclination  to  work,  the  kapala,  as 
a  matter  of  fact,  having  ordered  a  strike.  However,  with 
the  ten  men  allowed  I  was  able  by  degrees  to  bring  all  our 
goods  down  to  the  river  bank,  whereupon  the  kapala, 
seeing  that  I  was  not  to  be  intimidated,  permitted  the 
rest  of  the  men  to  proceed. 

It  was  an  unpleasant  affair,  which  was  aggravated 
by  what  followed,  and  was  utterly  at  variance  with  my 


144  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

other  experiences  during  two  years  among  the  Dayaks. 
I  was  greatly  surprised  to  observe  that  some  of  the  men 
who  had  been  loitering  near  our  goods  on  the  bank  of  the 
river  had  begun  to  carry  off  a  number  of  large  empty 
tins  which  had  been  placed  there  ready  for  shipment. 
These  are  difficult  to  procure,  and  being  very  necessary 
for  conveying  rice,  salt,  and  other  things,  I  had  declined 
to  give  them  away.  The  natives  had  always  been  wel- 
come to  the  small  tin  cans,  also  greatly  in  favour  with 
them.  Milk  and  jam  tins  are  especially  in  demand,  and 
after  they  have  been  thrown  away  the  Dayaks  invariably 
ask  if  they  may  have  them.  As  they  are  very  dexterous 
in  wood-work  they  make  nicely  carved  wooden  covers 
for  the  tins,  in  which  to  keep  tobacco  or  other  articles. 

Returning  from  one  of  many  tours  I  had  made  back 
to  the  house  from  where  our  belongings  were  taken,  I 
caught  sight  of  three  Murungs  running  as  fast  as  they 
could,  each  carrying  two  large  tins,  the  kapala  calmly 
looking  on.  I  told  him  that  unless  they  were  immediately 
returned  I  should  report  the  matter  to  the  government. 
This  had  the  desired  effect,  and  at  his  order  no  less  than 
sixteen  large  tins  were  j)romptly  produced. 

This  was  surprising,  but  as  a  faithful  chronicler  of 
things  Bornean  I  feel  obliged  to  tell  the  incident,  the 
explanation  of  which  to  a  great  extent  is  the  fact  that  the 
natives  here  have  been  tcK)  susceptible  to  the  demoralis- 
ing Malay  influence  which  has  overcome  their  natural 
scruples  about  stealing.  It  must  be  admitted  that  the 
Dayaks  wherever  I  have  been  are  fond  of  wang  (money), 
and  they  are  inclined  to  charge  high  prices  for  the  articles 


AN  UNPLEASANT  AFFAIR  145 

they  are  asked  to  sell.  They  have,  if  you  like,  a  childish 
greed,  which,  however,  is  curbed  by  the  influence  of  their 
religious  belief  before  it  has  carried  them  to  the  point 
of  stealing.  Under  continued  Malay  influence  the  in- 
nate longing  for  the  possession  of  things  very  much  de- 
sired overwhelms  them  and  conquers  their  scruples. 

We  afterward  discovered  that  several  things  were 
missing,  of  no  great  importance  except  a  round  black  tin 
case  containing  thermometers  and  small  instruments, 
which  without  doubt  had  been  appropriated  by  the  owner 
of  the  house  where  we  had  been  staying.  Two  or  three 
weeks  previously  he  had  begged  me  to  let  him  have  it, 
as  he  liked  it  much  and  needed  it.  I  said  that  was  im- 
possible, but  evidently  he  thought  otherwise.  Perhaps 
the  Murungs  are  more  avaricious  than  other  tribes.  I 
was  told  in  Puruk  Tjahu  that  they  were  greedy,  and  it 
seems  also  as  if  their  scruples  about  stealing  are  less 
acute  than  elsewhere  in  Borneo.  The  reputation  of  the 
Dayaks  for  honesty  is  great  among  all  who  know  them. 
As  far  as  my  knowledge  goes  the  Murungs  are  mild- 
mannered  and  polite,  but  not  particularly  intelligent. 
The  higher-class  people,  however,  are  intelligent  and  alert, 
manifesting  firmness  and  strength  of  mind. 

It  was  one  o'clock  before  we  were  able  to  start,  but 
circumstances  favoured  us,  and  after  dark  we  reached  the 
kampong  at  the  mouth  of  the  Laong  River,  where  we 
made  ourselves  quite  comfortable  on  the  landing  float, 
and  I  rejoiced  at  our  recent  escape  from  an  unpleasant 
situation.  The  following  day  we  arrived  at  Puruk 
Tjahu.    After  a  few  days'  stay  it  was  found  expedient  to 


146  THROIGII   CKXTRAI.    BORNEO 

return  to  Bandjermasin  before  starting  on  the  proposed 
expedition  through  Central  Borneo.  A  small  steamer 
belonging  to  the  Rtnal  Packet  Boat  Company  maintains 
fortnightly  connections  between  the  two  places,  and  it 
takes  only  a  little  over  two  days  to  go  down-stream. 


CHAPTER   XV 

FINAL    START    FOR    CENTRAL    BORNEO — CHRISTMAS   TIME — 
EXTENT    OF     MALAY     INFLUENCE — ^THE     FLOWERS     OF 

EQUATORIAL  REGIONS — ^AT  AN  OT-DANUM   KAMPONG 

THE    PICTURESQUE    KIHAMS,   OR   RAPIDS — FORMIDABLE 
OBSTACLES  TO  TRAVEL — MALAYS   ON   STRIKE 

Having  arranged  various  matters  connected  with  the 
expedition,  in  the  beginning  of  December  we  made  our 
final  start  from  Bandjermasin  in  the  Otto,  which  the 
resident  again  courteously  placed  at  my  disposal.  Our 
party  was  augmented  by  a  military  escort,  under  com- 
mand of  Onder-Lieutenant  J.  Van  Dijl,  consisting  of  one 
Javanese  sergeant  and  six  native  soldiers,  most  of  them 
Javanese.  At  midday  the  surface  of  the  water  was  ab- 
solutely without  a  ripple,  and  the  broad  expanse  of  the 
river,  ever  winding  in  large  curves,  reflected  the  sky  and 
the  low  jungle  on  either  side  with  bewildering  faithfulness. 
At  night  the  stars  were  reflected  in  the  water  in  the  same 
extraordinary  way. 

In  order  to  investigate  a  report  from  an  otherwise 
reliable  source  about  Dayaks  "as  white  as  Europeans, 
with  coarse  brown  hair,  and  children  with  blue  eyes,'* 
I  made  a  stop  at  Rubea,  two  or  three  hours  below  Muara 
Tewe.  It  was  a  small  and  sad-looking  kampong  of  thir- 
teen families  in  many  houses.  Several  children  were 
seen,  a  little  lighter  of  colour  than  usual,  but  their  eyes 
were  brown,  and  there  was  nothing  specially  remarkable 

about  them  nor  the  rest  of  the  people  whom  the  kapala 

147 


148  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

called  from  the  ladangs.  Children  lighter  than  the 
parents  is  a  usual  phenomenon  in  black  and  brown  races. 
There  was,  however,  one  four-year-old  boy  conspicuous 
for  his  light  hair  and  general  blondness,  who  was  different 
from  the  ordinary  Dayak  in  frame  and  some  of  his  move- 
ments; he  was  coarsely  built,  with  thick  limbs,  big  square 
head,  and  hands  and  feet  strikingly  large.  There  could 
be  no  doubt  about  his  being  a  half-breed,  neither  face  nor 
expression  being  Dayak.  One  hare-lipped  woman  and 
a  child  born  blind  were  observed  here.  Other  kampongs 
in  the  inland  neighbourhood,  mentioned  in  the  same  re- 
port, were  not  visited. 

On  our  arrival  at  Puruk  Tjahu  the  low  water  at  first 
made  it  doubtful  whether  the  Otto  would  be  able  to  pro- 
ceed further,  but  during  the  night  it  rose  five  metres,  con- 
tinued rising,  and  changed  into  a  swollen  river,  as  in 
springtime,  carrying  sticks  and  logs  on  its  dirty  reddish 
waters.  After  a  foggy  morning  the  sun  came  out  and 
we  had  an  enchanting  day's  journey,  the  movement  of 
the  ship  producing  a  soft  breeze  of  balmy  air  after  the 
rainy  night  and  morning.  We  passed  a  timber  float 
stranded  on  high  ground,  with  Malay  men,  women,  and 
children  who  had  been  living  there  for  weeks,  waiting  for 
the  water  to  rise  again  as  high  as  where  it  had  left  them. 
They  evidently  enjoyed  the  unusual  sight  of  the  steamer, 
and  followed  us  attentively. 

In  the  afternoon  we  arrived  at  Poru,  a  small,  oppres- 
sively warm  kampong,  deserted  but  for  an  old  man  and 
one  family,  the  others  having  gone  to  gather  rattan  in  the 
utan.     This  was  to  be  our  starting-point,  where  our  bag- 


START  FOR  CENTRAL  BORNEO     149 

gage  would  have  to  be  put  in  convenient  shape  for  travel 
in  boat  and  overland,  and  where  we  hoped  it  might  be 
possible  to  buy  prahus  and  obtain  men  by  searching  the 
kampongs  higher  up  the  river.  In  this  we  were  dis- 
appointed, so  the  lieutenant  went  back  to  Puruk  Tjahu, 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  which  are  many  kampongs, 
nearly  all  Malay,  there  as  well  as  here.  He  took  with  him 
one  soldier  who  had  proved  to  have  an  obnoxious  disease, 
leaving  us  with  five  for  the  expedition,  which  we  deemed 
sufficient. 

On  Christmas  day  I  bought  from  an  old  Dayak  a 
large,  ripe  fruit  called  in  Malay  nangca  {ariocarpus 
integrifolia)  of  the  jack  fruit  family.  It  is  very  common. 
Before  maturing  it  is  used  as  an  every-day  vegetable, 
which  is  boiled  before  eating.  I  was  surprised  to  find 
that  when  fully  ripe  this  fruit  has  an  agreeable  flavour  of 
banana,  but  its  contents  being  sticky  it  is  difficult  to 
eat.  The  sergeant,  with  the  culinary  ability  of  the 
Javanese,  prepared  for  the  holiday  a  kind  of  stew,  called 
sambil  goreng,  which  is  made  on  the  same  principle  as 
the  Mexican  variety,  but  decidedly  superior.  Besides 
the  meat  or  fish,  or  whatever  is  used  as  the  foundation, 
it  contains  eight  ingredients  and  condiments,  all  indige- 
nous except  red  pepper  and  onions. 

In  the  ladangs  is  cultivated  the  maize  plant,  which 
just  then  was  in  condition  to  provide  us  with  the  coveted 
green  corn,  and  carried  my  thoughts  to  America,  whence 
the  plant  came.  Maize  is  raised  on  a  very  limited  scale, 
and,  strange  to  say,  higher  up  the  river  the  season  was 
already  over.     At  Poru  we  tried  in  vain  to  secure  a  kind 


I50  THROrCII  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

of  gibbon  that  we  heart!  ahnost  ilaily  on  the  other  side 
of  the  river,  emitting  a  loud  cry  Init  ditlcrent  from  that 
of  the  ordinary  wah-wah.  Rajiniin  described  it  as  being 
white  about  tlie  head  and  liavini^  a  jironounced  kind  of 
topknot. 

As  far  as  we  had  advanced  up  the  Barito  River,  Malay 
influence  was  found  to  be  supreme.  The  majority  of  the 
kampongs  are  peopled  by  Malays,  Dayaks  at  times  liv- 
ing in  a  separate  section.  This  relation  may  continue  at 
the  lower  courses  of  the  tributaries,  yielding  to  a  Dayak 
population  at  the  upper  portions.  In  the  kampongs,  from 
our  present  camp,  Poru,  up  to  the  Busang  tributary,  the 
population  continues  to  be  subject  to  strong  Malay  in- 
fluence, the  native  tribes  gradually  relinquishing  their 
customs,  beliefs,  and  vernacular.  But  back  from  the 
river  on  either  side  the  Dayak  still  easily  holds  his  own. 

The  old  kapala  of  Poru  had  an  attractive  eight-year- 
old  granddaughter,  ot  a  singularly  active  and  enterprising 
disposition,  who  always  accompanied  him.  He  called 
my  attention  to  the  fact  that  she  wore  a  solid-looking 
gold  bracelet  around  each  wrist,  a  product  of  the  country. 
In  the  dry  season  when  the  river  is  low  two  or  three 
hundred  Dayaks  and  Malays  gather  here  to  wash  gold, 
coming  even  as  far  as  from  Muara  Tewe.  The  gold 
mixed  with  silver  is  made  into  bracelets,  wristlets,  or 
breastplates  by  these  natives. 

The  lieutenant  had  been  unable  to  secure  more  than 
sixteen  men,  all  Malays,  which  was  insuflicient  for  the 
^ix  prahus  we  had  bought.  Therefore  it  became  neces- 
sary to  travel  in  relays,  the  lieutenant  waiting  in   Poru 


START  FOR  CENTRAL  BORNEO     151 

until  our  men  and  prahus  should  return  from  Telok 
Djulo,  for  which  kampong  the  rest  of  us  started  in  late 
December. 

After  considerable  rain  the  river  was  high  but  naviga- 
ble, and  two  days'  travel  brought  us  to  a  rather  attractive 
kampong  situated  on  a  ridge.  Rajimin  accompanied  by 
Longko,  the  principal  one  of  our  Malays,  went  out  in  the 
evening  to  hunt  deer,  employing  the  approved  Bornean 
method.  With  a  lamp  in  the  bow  the  prahu  is  paddled 
noiselessly  along  the  river  near  the  bank.  Rusa,  as  a 
large  species  of  deer  are  called,  come  to  the  water,  and 
instead  of  being  frightened  are  attracted  by  the  light. 
Rajimin,  who  was  of  an  emotional  and  nervous  tempera- 
ment, missed  two  plandoks  and  one  rusa,  Longko  reported, 
and  when  he  actually  killed  a  rusa  he  became  so  excited 
that  he  upset  the  prahu. 

We  started  before  seven  o'clock  on  a  glorious  morning, 
January  first.  On  the  river  bank  some  trees,  which  did 
not  appear  to  me  to  be  indigenous,  were  covered  with 
lovely  flowers  resembling  hibiscus,  some  scarlet,  some 
yellow.  I  had  my  men  gather  a  small  bunch,  which  for 
several  hours  proved  attractive  in  the  prosaic  Malay 
prahu.  The  equatorial  regions  have  not  the  abundance 
of  beautiful  flowers  that  is  credited  to  them  by  popu- 
lar belief.  The  graceful  pitcher-plants  {nepenthes)  are 
wonderful  and  so  are  many  other  extraordinary  plant 
creations  here,  but  they  cannot  be  classed  as  beautiful 
flowers  in  the  common  acceptation  of  the  word.  There 
are  superb  flowers  in  Borneo,  among  them  the  finest  in 
existence,  orchids,  begonias,  etc.,  but  on  account  of  the 


152  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

character  of  their  habitats,  within  a  dense  jungle,  it  is 
generally  difficult  to  see  them.  The  vast  majority  of 
orchids  are  small  and  inconspicuous,  and  in  hunting  for 
magnificent  ones  the  best  plan  is  to  take  natives  along 
who  will  climb  or  cut  down  the  trees  on  which  they 
grow. 

On  the  third  day  the  river  had  become  narrow  and 
shallower,  and  early  in  the  afternoon  we  arrived  at  Telok 
Djulo,  a  kampong  of  Ot-Danums  interspersed  with 
Malays.  It  is  composed  of  many  houses,  forming  one 
side  of  an  irregular  street,  all  surrounded  with  a  low  fence 
for  the  purpose  of  keeping  pigs  out.  The  storehouses 
recalled  those  of  the  Bulungan,  with  their  wide  wooden 
rings  around  the  tops  of  the  supporting  pillars,  to  pre- 
vent mice  from  ascending.  Outside  of  the  fence  near  the 
jungle  two  water-buffaloes  were  always  to  be  seen  in  the 
forenoon  lying  in  a  mud-pool;  these  we  were  warned 
against  as  being  dangerous.  These  Dayaks,  who  are 
shy  but  very  friendly,  are  said  to  have  immigrated  here 
over  thirty  years  ago.  They  are  mostly  of  medium  size, 
the  women  stocky,  with  thick  ankles,  though  otherwise 
their  figures  are  quite  good.  The  Ot-Danum  men,  like 
the  Murungs,  Siangs,  and  Katingans,  place  conspicu- 
ously on  the  calf  of  the  leg  a  large  tatu  mark  representing 
the  full  moon.  When  preparing  to  be  photographed, 
men,  women,  and  children  decorate  their  chests  with 
crudely  made  gold  plates  shaped  nearly  like  a  half  moon 
and  hanging  one  above  another,  generally  five  in  number. 
One  of  the  blians  was  a  Malay. 

Here  we  had  to  stay  two  weeks,  while  the  remainder 


OT-DANUM,  WEARING  GOLD  BREASTPLATES.    TELOK  DJULO 


START  FOR  CENTRAL  BORNEO     153 

of  our  baggage  was  being  brought  up  and  until  a  new  sta- 
tion for  storing  goods  had  been  estabHshed  in  the  jungle 
higher  up  the  river.  Rajimin  had  an  attack  of  dysen- 
tery, and  although  his  health  improved  he  requested 
permission  to  return,  which  I  readily  granted  notwith- 
standing his  undeniable  ability  in  skinning  birds.  He  was 
afraid  of  the  kihams,  not  a  good  shot,  and  so  liable  to  lose 
his  way  in  the  jungle  that  I  always  had  to  have  a  Dayak 
accompany  him.  It  is  the  drawback  with  all  Javanese 
that,  being  unaccustomed  to  these  great  jungles,  at  first 
they  easily  get  lost.  Rajimin  joined  a  few  Malays  in 
building  a  small  float,  on  which  they  went  down  the  river. 
Several  Malays  aspired  to  succeed  him  as  taxidermist,  but 
showed  no  aptitude.  I  then  taught  one  of  our  Javanese 
soldiers  who  had  expressed  interest  in  the  matter.  Being 
painstaking  and  also  a  good  shot,  the  new  tokang  bu- 
rong  (master  of  birds),  the  Malay  designation  for  a  taxi- 
dermist, gave  satisfactory  results  in  due  time. 

One  day  while  I  was  taking  anthropometric  measure- 
ments, to  which  the  Ot-Danums  grudgingly  submitted, 
one  of  them  exhibited  unusual  agitation  and  actually 
wept.  Inquiring  the  reason,  I  learned  that  his  wife  had 
jilted  him  for  a  Kapuas  Dayak  who,  a  couple  of  nights 
previously,  when  the  injured  man  was  out  hunting  wild 
pigs  for  me,  had  taken  advantage  of  the  husband's  ab- 
sence. Moreover,  the  night  before,  the  rival  had 
usurped  his  place  a  second  time,  compelling  the  husband 
to  go  elsewhere.  The  incident  showed  how  Dayak  ideas 
were  yielding  to  Malay  influence.  He  was  in  despair 
about  it,  and  threatened  to  kill  the  intruder  as  well  as 


154  TIIROrCH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

himself,  so  I  told  the  sergeant  to  strengthen  the  hands  of 
the  kapala.  I  could  not  prevent  the  woman's  disloyalty 
to  her  husband,  but  the  new  attraction  should  not  be 
allowed  to  stay  in  the  house.  This  had  the  effect  of 
making  the  intruder  depart  a  few  minutes  later,  though 
he  did  not  go  far  away.  The  affair  was  settled  in  a  most 
unexpected  manner.  The  kapala  being  absent,  his  sub- 
stitute, honhoinmr  vuiis  bortie^  and  probably  influenced 
by  her  relatives,  decided  that  the  injured  husband  must 
pay  damages  f.  40  because  he  had  vacated  his  room  the 
night  he  went  out  hunting. 

We  procured  one  more  prahu,  but  the  difficulties  of 
getting  more  men  were  very  great,  one  reason  being  that 
the  people  had  already  begun  to  cut  paddi.  Though  the 
new  year  so  far  brought  us  no  rain,  still  the  river  of  late 
had  begun  to  run  high  on  account  of  precipitation  at  its 
upper  courses.  High  water  does  not  always  deter,  but 
rapid  rising  or  falling  is  fraught  with  risk.  After  several 
days'  waiting  the  status  of  the  water  was  considered  safe, 
and,  leaving  three  boatloads  to  be  called  for  later,  in  the 
middle  of  January,  we  made  a  start  and  halted  at  a 
sand  slope  where  the  river  ran  narrow  among  low  hills, 
two  hundred  metres  below  the  first  great  kiham.  Malay 
rattan  gatherers,  with  four  prahus,  were  already  camped 
here  awaiting  a  favourable  opportunity  to  negotiate  the 
kihams,  and  they  too  were  going  to  make  the  attempt  next 
morning.  As  the  river  might  rise  unexpectedly,  we 
brought  ashore  only  what  was  needed  for  the  night. 

Next  day  at  half-past  six  o'clock  we  started,  on  a 
misty,  fresh  morning,  and  in  a  few  minutes  were  within 


START  FOR  CENTRAL  BORNEO     155 

hearing  of  the  roar  of  the  rapids,  an  invigorating  sound 
and  an  inspiring  sight.  The  so-called  Kiham  Atas  is  one 
kilometre  long.  The  left  side  of  the  river  rises  perpen- 
dicularly over  the  deep,  narrow  waters,  the  lower  part 
bare,  but  most  of  it  covered  with  picturesque  vegetation, 
especially  conspicuous  being  rows  of  sago  palms.  The 
prahus  had  to  be  dragged  up  along  the  opposite  side 
between  big  stones.  Only  our  instruments  were  carried 
overland,  as  we  walked  along  a  foot-path  through  de- 
lightful woods,  and  at  nine  o'clock  the  prahus  had  finished 
the  ascent. 

Not  long  afterward  we  approached  the  first  of  the 
four  big  kihams  which  still  had  to  be  passed  and  which 
are  more  difficult.  Having  been  relieved  of  their  loads 
the  prahus  were  hauled,  one  at  a  time,  around  a  big 
promontory  situated  just  opposite  a  beautiful  cascade 
that  falls  into  the  river  on  the  mountainous  side.  Around 
the  promontory  the  water  forms  treacherous  currents. 
Above  it  eight  or  nine  Malays  pulled  the  rattan  cable, 
which  was  three  times  as  long  as  usual,  and  when  the 
first  prahu,  one  man  inside,  came  into  view  from  below, 
passing  the  promontory,  it  unexpectedly  shot  out  into 
the  middle  of  the  river,  and  then,  in  an  equally  startling 
manner,  turned  into  a  back  current.  This  rapidly  car- 
ried it  toward  an  almost  invisible  rock  where  Longko, 
who  was  an  old  hand  on  this  river,  had  taken  his  stand 
among  the  waves  and  kept  it  from  foundering.  The 
Malays  were  pulling  the  rattan  as  fast  as  they  could, 
running  at  times,  but  before  the  prahu  could  be  hauled 
up  to  safety  it  still  had  to  pass  a  hidden  rock  some  dis- 


156  THROUGH  CENTRAL   RORNEO 

tance  out.  It  ran  against  this  and  made  a  disagreeable 
turn,  but  regained  its  balance. 

The  next  one  nearly  turned  over,  and  Mr.  Demmini 
decided  to  take  out  the  kinema  camera,  which  was  got  in 
readiness  to  film  the  picturesque  scene.  In  the  mean- 
time, in  order  to  control  the  prahu  from  the  side,  a  second 
rattan  rope  had  been  tied  to  the  following  one,  thereby 
enabling  the  men  to  keep  it  from  going  too  far  out.  This 
should  have  been  done  at  the  start,  but  the  Malays  always 
like  to  take  their  chances.  Though  the  remaining  prahus 
did  not  present  such  exciting  spectacles,  nevertheless 
the  scene  was  uncommonly  picturesque.  After  nine 
hours  of  heavy  work,  during  most  of  which  the  men  had 
kept  running  from  stone  to  stone  dragging  rattan  cables, 
we  camped  on  a  sand-ridge  that  ran  out  as  a  peninsula 
into  the  river.  At  one  side  was  an  inlet  of  calm,  dark- 
coloured  water  into  which,  a  hundred  metres  away,  a 
tributary  emptied  itself  into  a  lovely  waterfall.  A  full 
moon  rose  over  the  enchanting  landscape. 

At  half-past  six  in  the  morning  we  started  for  the  next 
kiham,  the  so-called  Kiham  Mudang,  where  we  arrived 
an  hour  later.  This  was  the  most  impressive  of  all  the 
rapids  so  far,  the  river  flowing  between  narrow  confines 
in  a  steady  down-grade  course,  which  at  first  sight  seemed 
impossible  of  ascent.  The  river  had  fallen  half  a  metre 
since  the  day  before,  and  although  most  kihams  are 
easier  to  pass  at  low  water,  this  one  was  more  difllcult. 
The  men,  standing  in  water  up  to  their  arms,  brought  all 
the  luggage  ashore  and  carried  it  further  uj)  the  river. 
Next  till"  f)rahus  were  successfully  pulled  uj^  being  kept 


START  FOR  CENTRAL  BORNEO     157 

as  near  land  as  possible  and  tossed  like  toys  on  the  an- 
gry waves,  and  pushed  in  and  out  of  small  inlets  between 
the  big  stones.  In  three  hours  we  effected  the  passage 
and  in  the  afternoon  arrived  at  Tumbang  Djuloi,  a  rather 
prettily  situated  kampong  on  a  ridge  along  the  river. 

I  was  installed  in  a  small  house  which  was  vacant  at 
one  end  of  the  little  village,  the  greater  part  of  which  is 
Malay.  There  were  two  houses  belonging  to  Ot-Danums 
which  I  found  locked  with  modern  padlocks.  Nearly  all 
Malays  and  Dayaks  were  at  the  ladangs,  where  they  spend 
most  of  their  time,  remaining  over  night.  Coal,  which 
is  often  found  on  the  upper  part  of  the  Barito  River, 
may  be  observed  in  the  bank  of  the  river  in  a  layer  two 
metres  thick.  It  is  of  good  quality,  but  at  present  cannot 
be  utilised  on  account  of  the  formidable  obstacle  to  trans- 
portation presented  by  the  kiham  below. 

Our  Malays  soon  began  to  talk  of  returning,  fifteen 
of  the  twenty-four  men  wanting  to  go  home.  Payment 
having  been  refused  until  the  goods  left  below  had  been 
brought  up,  a  settlement  was  reached  and  the  necessary 
men,  with  the  sergeant,  departed  for  Telok  Djulo.  In  the 
meantime  we  began  to  convey  our  belongings  higher  up 
the  river,  above  the  next  kiham,  where  they  were  stored 
in  the  jungle  and  covered  with  a  tent  cloth. 

After  the  arrival  of  the  luggage  which  had  been  left 
behind,  there  was  a  universal  clamour  for  returning 
home,  the  Malays  professing  great  disinclination  to  pro- 
ceeding through  the  difficult  Busang  country  ahead  of 
us.  Even  those  from  Puruk  Tjahu,  who  had  pledged 
themselves  to  continue  to  the  end,  backed  out.     Though 


158  niROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

wages  were  raised  to  f.  1.50  per  day,  only  eight  men  re- 
mained. T(^  this  number  we  were  able  to  add  three 
Mahiys  from  the  kampong.  One  was  the  Mohammedan 
guru  (priest),  another  a  mikl-tempered  Mahiy  who  al- 
ways had  bad  luck,  losing  floats  of  rattan  in  the  kihams, 
and  therefore  passed  under  the  nickname  of  tokang 
karam  (master  of  misfortune).  The  third  was  a  strong, 
tall  man  with  some  Dayak  blood,  who  was  tatued. 
Djobing,  as  he  was  named,  belonged  to  a  camp  of  rattan 
workers  up  on  the  Busang,  and  decided  to  go  at  the  last 
moment,  no  doubt  utilising  the  occasion  as  a  convenient 
way  of  returning. 

I  was  glad  to  see  him  climb  down  the  steep  embank- 
ment, carrying  in  one  hand  a  five-gallon  tin,  neatly 
painted,  which  had  opening  and  cover  at  the  long  side, 
to  which  a  handle  was  attached.  Under  the  other  arm 
he  had  the  usual  outfit  of  a  travelling  Malay,  a  mat,  on 
which  he  slept  at  night  and  in  which  were  wrapped  a  sheet 
and  a  few  pieces  of  light  clothing.  His  tin  case  was  full 
of  tobacco  and  brought  forth  disparaging  remarks  from 
the  lieutenant,  who  was  chary  of  the  precious  space  in 
the  prahus. 

Having  successfully  passed  the  censor  Djobing  was- as- 
signed to  my  prahu,  where  he  scxon  showed  himself  to  be 
a  very  good  man,  as  alert  as  a  Dayak  and  not  inclined  to 
save  himself  trouble.  He  would  jump  into  the  water  up  to 
his  neck  to  push  and  steer  the  prahu,  or,  in  the  fashion  of 
the  Dayaks  and  the  best  Malays,  would  place  his  strong 
back  under  and  against  it  t<>  help  it  off  when  ^rniiiidrd  on 
a  rock.     When  circumstances  require  quick  action  such 


START  FOR  CENTRAL  BORNEO     159 

men  will  dive  under  the  prahu  and  put  their  backs  to  it 
from  the  other  side. 

There  was  little  chance  of  more  paddling,  the  prahus 
being  poled  or  dragged  by  rattan,  and  many  smaller  ki- 
hams  were  passed.  We  entered  the  Busang  River,  which 
is  barely  thirty-five  metres  wide  at  its  mouth,  flowing 
through  hilly  country.  The  water  was  low  at  that  time, 
but  is  liable  to  rise  quickly,  through  rains,  and  as  it  has 
little  opportunity  for  expansion  at  the  sides  the  current 
flows  with  such  violence  that  travel  becomes  impossible. 
The  most  diflicult  part  of  our  journey  lay  before  us,  and 
the  possibility  of  one  or  two,  or  even  three  months'  de- 
lay on  account  of  weather  conditions  is  then  taken  as  a 
matter  of  course  by  the  natives,  though  I  trusted  to  have 
better  luck  than  that. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

ARRIVAL  AT  BAHANDANG ON  THE  EQUATOR — A  STARTLING 

ROBBERY OUR  MOST  LABORIOUS  JOURNEY — HORN- 
BILLS — THE  SNAKE  AND  THE  INTREPID  PENYAHBONG 
— ARRIVAL  AT  TAMALOfi 

Bahandang,  where  we  arrived  early  in  the  second 
afternoon,  is  the  headquarters  of  some  Malay  rubber  and 
rattan  gatherers  of  the  surrounding  utan.  A  house  had 
been  built  at  the  conflux  with  the  river  of  a  small  affluent, 
and  here  lived  an  old  Malay  who  was  employed  in  re- 
ceiving the  products  from  the  workers  in  the  field.  Only 
his  wife  was  present,  he  having  gone  to  Naan  on  the 
Djuloi  River,  but  was  expected  to  return  soon.  The 
place  is  unattractive  and  looked  abandoned.  Evidently 
at  a  previous  time  effort  had  been  made  to  clear  the 
jungle  and  to  cultivate  bananas  and  cassavas.  Among 
felled  trees  and  the  exuberance  of  a  new  growth  of  vege- 
tation a  few  straggling  bananas  were  observable,  but 
all  the  big  cassava  plants  had  been  uprooted  and  turned 
over  by  the  wild  pigs,  tending  to  increase  the  dismal  look 
of  the  place.  A  lieutenant  in  charge  of  a  patrouille  had 
put  up  a  rough  pasang-grahan  here,  where  our  lieutenant 
and  the  soldiers  tfK)k  refuge,  while  I  had  the  ground 
cleared  near  one  end  of  it,  and  there  placed  my  tent. 

Not  far  off  stood  a  magnificent  tree  with  full,  straight 

stem,  towering  in  lonely  solitude  fifty  metres  above  the 

overgrown  clearing.     In  a  straight  line  up  its  tall  trunk 

160 


UP  THE   BUSANG   RIVER  i6i 

wooden  plugs  had  been  driven  in  firmly  about  thirty 
centimetres  apart.  This  is  the  way  Dayaks,  and  Malays 
who  have  learned  it  from  them,  climb  trees  to  get  the 
honey  and  wax  of  the  bees'  nests  suspended  from  the 
high  branches.  On  the  Barito,  from  the  deck  of  the 
Otto,  I  had  observed  similar  contrivances  on  still  taller 
trees  of  the  same  kind  called  tapang,  which  are  left 
standing  when  the  jungle  is  cleared  to  make  ladangs. 

A  few  days  later  the  rest  of  our  party  arrived  and, 
having  picked  up  six  rubber  gatherers,  brought  the  re- 
mainder of  the  luggage  from  their  camp.  Some  men 
were  then  sent  to  bring  up  the  goods  stored  in  the  utan 
below,  and  on  February  3  this  was  accomplished. 
An  Ot-Danum  from  the  Djuloi  River,  with  wife  and 
daughter,  camped  here  for  a  few  days,  hunting  for  gold 
in  the  river  soil,  which  is  auriferous  as  in  many  other 
rivers  of  Borneo.  They  told  me  they  were  glad  to  make 
sixty  cents  a  day,  and  if  they  were  lucky  the  result  might 
be  two  florins. 

We  found  ourselves  in  the  midst  of  the  vast  jungles 
that  cover  Borneo,  serving  to  keep  the  atmosphere  cool 
and  prevent  air  currents  from  ascending  in  these  windless 
tropics.  We  were  almost  exactly  on  the  equator,  at  an 
elevation  of  about  100  metres.  In  January  there  had 
been  little  rain  and  in  daytime  the  weather  had  been 
rather  muggy,  but  with  no  excessive  heat  to  speak  of, 
provided  one's  raiment  is  suited  to  the  tropics.  On  the 
last  day  of  the  month,  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
after  a  clear  and  beautiful  night,  the  temperature  was  72° 
F.  (22°  C).     Durin£  the  additional  three  weeks  passed 


i62  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

here,  showers  fell  occasionally  and  sometimes  it  rained  all 
ni^ht.  As  a  rule  the  days  were  bright,  warm,  and  beauti- 
ful; the  few  whiiii  were  cloudy  seemed  actually  chilly 
and  made  one  desire  the  return  of  the  sun. 

Our  first  task  was  to  make  arrangements  for  the  further 
journey  up  the  Busang  River  to  Tamaloe,  a  remote  kam- 
pong  recently  formed  by  the  Penyahbongs  on  the  upper 
part  of  the  river.  We  were  about  to  enter  the  great  ac- 
cumulation of  kihams  which  make  travel  on  the  Busang 
peculiarly  difficult.  The  lieutenant's  hope  that  we  might 
secure  more  men  from  among  the  rubber  gatherers  was 
not  fulfilled.  The  few  who  were  present  made  excuses, 
and  as  for  the  others,  they  were  far  away  in  the  utan, 
nobody  knew  where.  We  still  had  some  Malays,  and, 
always  scheming  for  money  or  advantage  to  themselves, 
they  began  to  invent  new  difficulties  and  demand  higher 
wages.  Although  I  was  willing  to  make  allowances,  it 
was  impossible  to  go  beyond  a  certain  limit,  because  the 
tribes  we  should  meet  later  would  demand  the  same 
payment  as  their  predecessors  had  received.  The  old 
Malay  resident,  who  in  the  meantime  had  returned  from 
his  absence,  could  ofTer  no  advice. 

Finally  exorbitant  wages  were  demanded,  and  all 
wanted  to  return  except  four.  As  the  lieutenant  had 
expressed  his  willingness  to  proceed  to  Tamaloe  in  ad- 
vance of  the  party  and  try  to  hire  the  necessary  men 
there,  it  was  immediately  decided  that  he  should  start 
with  our  four  remaining  men  and  one  soldier,  while  the 
rest  of  us  waited  here  with  the  sergeant  and  four  soldiers. 
On   February  4  the  party  was  off,  as  lightly  equipped 


A  STARTLING   ROBBERY  163 

as  possible,  and  if  all  went  well  we  expected  to  have  the 
necessary  men  within  three  weeks. 

On  the  same  afternoon  Djobing  and  three  companions, 
who  were  going  up  to  another  rattan  station,  Djudjang, 
on  a  path  through  the  jungle,  proposed  to  me  to  trans- 
port some  of  our  luggage  in  one  of  my  prahus.  The 
offer  was  gladly  accepted,  a  liberal  price  paid,  and  similar 
tempting  conditions  offered  if  they  and  a  few  men,  known 
to  be  at  the  station  above,  would  unite  in  taking  all 
our  goods  up  that  far.  The  following  morning  they 
started  off. 

The  Malays  of  these  regions,  who  are  mainly  from  the 
upper  part  of  the  Kapuas  River  in  the  western  division 
and  began  to  come  here  ten  years  previously,  are  physi- 
cally much  superior  to  the  Malays  we  brought,  and  for 
work  in  the  kihams  are  as  fine  as  Dayaks.  They  remain 
here  for  years,  spending  two  or  three  months  at  a  time 
in  the  utan.  Djobing  had  been  here  four  years  and  had 
a  wife  in  his  native  country.  There  are  said  to  be  150 
Malays  engaged  in  gathering  rattan,  and,  no  doubt,  also 
rubber,  in  these  vast,  otherwise  uninhabited  upper  Dusun 
lands. 

What  with  the  absence  of  natives  and  the  scarcity  of 
animals  and  birds,  the  time  spent  here  waiting  was  not 
exactly  pleasant.  Notwithstanding  the  combined  efforts 
of  the  collector,  the  sergeant,  and  one  other  soldier,  few 
specimens  were  brought  in.  Mr.  Demmini,  the  photog- 
rapher, and  Mr.  Loing  were  afflicted  with  dysentery,  from 
which  they  recovered  in  a  week. 

As  a  climax  came  the  startling  discovery  that  one  of 


i64  THROUGH   CENTRAL   l^ORNEO 

the  t\v(i  nioiu} -boxes  belonging  to  the  expedition,  con- 
taining f.  3,000  in  silver,  had  been  stolen  one  night  from 
inv  lent,  a  few  feet  away  from  the  pasang-grahan.  They 
were  both  standing  at  one  side  covered  with  a  bag,  and 
while  it  was  possible  for  two  men  to  carry  off  such  a 
hea\y  box  if  one  of  them  lifted  the  tent  wall,  still  the 
theft  implied  an  amount  of  audacity  and  skill  with  which 
hitherto  I  had  not  credited  the  Malays.  The  rain 
clattering  on  the  roof  of  the  tent,  and  the  fact  that,  con- 
trar>^  to  Dutch  custom,  I  always  extinguished  my  lamp 
at  night,  was  in  their  favour.  After  this  occurrence  the 
lamp  at  night  always  hung  lighted  outside  of  the  tent  door. 
All  evidence  pointed  to  the  four  men  from  Tumbang 
Djuloi  who  recently  left  us.  The  sergeant  had  noticed 
their  prahus  departing  from  a  point  lower  down  than 
convenience  would  dictate,  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  no- 
body else  could  have  done  it.  But  they  were  gone,  we 
were  in  seclusion,  and  there  was  nobody  to  send  anywhere. 
In  the  middle  of  February  we  had  twenty-nine  men 
here  from  Tamaloe,  twenty  of  them  Penyahbongs  and  the 
remainder  Malays.  Tiie  lieutenant  had  been  successful, 
and  the  men  had  only  used  two  days  in  coming  down  with 
the  current.  They  were  in  charge  of  a  Malay  called  Bang- 
sul,  who  formerly  had  been  in  the  service  of  a  Dutch 
official,  and  whose  fortune  had  brought  him  to  distant 
Tamaloe,  where  he  had  acquired  a  dominating  position 
over  the  Penyahbongs.  I  wrote  a  report  of  the  robbery  to 
the  captain  in  Puruk  Tjahu,  and  sent  Longko  to  Tumbang 
Djuloi  to  deliver  it  to  the  kapala,  who  was  requested  to 
forward  it.     Tliere  the  matter  ended, 


UP  THE   BUSANG   RIVER  165 

I  was  determined  that  the  loss,  though  at  the  time  a 
hard  blow,  should  not  interfere  with  the  carrying  out  of 
my  plans.  By  rigid  economy  it  could,  at  least  partially, 
be  offset,  and  besides,  I  felt  sure  that  if  the  necessity 
arose  it  would  be  possible  later  to  secure  silver  from 
Dutch  officials  on  the  lower  Mahakam  River.  Bangsul 
and  some  Penyahbongs,  at  my  request,  searched  in  the 
surrounding  jungle  growth  and  found  a  hole  that  had 
been  dug  of  the  same  size  and  shape  as  the  stolen  box, 
where  no  doubt  it  had  been  deposited  until  taken  on  board 
the  prahu. 

The  day  previous  to  our  departure  Mr.  Demmini 
again  was  taken  ill,  and  in  accordance  with  his  own  wish 
it  was  decided  that  he  should  return.  I  let  him  have 
Longko  in  command  of  one  of  the  best  prahus,  and  in 
time  he  arrived  safely  in  Batavia,  where  he  had  to  undergo 
further  treatment.  Longko,  the  Malay  with  the  reputa- 
tion for  reliability,  never  brought  back  the  men  and  the 
prahu;  their  loss,  however,  was  greater  than  mine,  as 
their  wages,  pending  good  behaviour,  were  mostly  un- 
paid. 

Shortly  after  their  prahu  had  disappeared  from  view, 
on  February  20,  we  departed  in  the  opposite  direction. 
Our  new  crew,  of  Penyahbongs  mostly,  who  only  lately 
have  become  acquainted  with  prahus,  were  not  quite  so 
efficient  as  the  former,  but  much  more  amiable,  laughing 
and  cracking  jokes  with  each  other  as  they  ran  along  over 
the  rocks,  pulling  the  rattan  ropes  of  the  prahus.  No 
sooner  did  we  ascend  one  kiham  than  we  arrived  at  an- 
other, but  they  were  still  small.     Although  the  day  was 


i66  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

unusually  warm,  there  was  a  refreshing  coolness  in  the 
shade  under  the  trees  that  grow  among  the  rocks  along 
the  river. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  we  camped  at  the  foot  of  the 
first  of  twelve  great  kihams  which  must  be  passed  be- 
fore arriving  at  Djudjang,  the  rattan  gatherers'  camp. 
During  a  heavy  shower  a  Pcnyahbong  went  into  the  jun- 
gle with  his  sumpitan  and  returned  with  a  young  rusa, 
quarters  of  which  he  presented  to  Mr.  Loing  and  myself. 
Bangsul  had  travelled  here  before,  and  he  thought 
we  prt)bably  would  need  two  weeks  for  the  journey  to 
Djudjang  from  where,  under  good  weather  conditions, 
three  days'  poling  should  bring  us  to  Tamaloe.  He  had 
once  been  obliged  to  spend  nearly  three  months  on  this 
trip. 

We  spent  one  day  here,  while  all  our  goods  were  being 
taken  on  human  backs  to  a  place  some  distance  above  the 
kiham.  Four  Malays  and  one  Penyahbong  wanted  rem- 
edies for  diseases  they  professed  to  have.  The  latter 
seemed  really  ill  and  had  to  be  excused  from  work.  The 
rest  said  they  suffered  from  demum  (malaria),  a  word 
that  has  become  an  expression  for  most  cases  of  indis- 
position, and  I  gave  them  quinine.  The  natives  crave 
the  remedies  the  traveller  carries,  which  they  think  will 
do  them  good  whether  needed  or  not. 

Much  annoyance  is  experienced  from  Malays  in  out- 
of-the-way  places  presenting  their  ailments,  real  or  fan- 
cied, to  the  traveller's  attention.  The  Dayaks,  not  being 
forward,  are  much  less  annoying,  though  equally  desirous 
of  the  white  man's  medicine.     An  Ot-Danum  once  wanted 


y.     .2 


UP  THE   BUSANG   RIVER  167 

a  cure  for  a  few  white  spots  on  the  finger-nails.  In  the 
previous  camp  a  Penyahbong  had  consulted  me  for  a 
stomach-ache  and  I  gave  him  what  I  had  at  hand,  a  small 
quantity  of  cholera  essence  much  diluted  in  a  cup  of 
water.  All  the  rest  insisted  on  having  a  taste  of  it, 
smacking  their  lips  with  evident  relish. 

Early  next  morning  the  prahus  were  hauled  up  the 
rapids  and  then  loaded,  after  which  the  journey  was  con- 
tinued through  a  smiling,  slightly  mountainous  country, 
with  trees  hanging  over  the  river.  We  actually  had  a 
course  of  smooth  water,  and  before  us,  near  the  horizon, 
stretched  two  long  ridges  with  flat  summits  falling 
abruptly  down  at  either  side  of  the  river.  At  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  we  reached  the  foot  of  two  big  kihams, 
and  Bangsul  considered  it  time  to  camp.  It  must  be 
admitted  that  the  work  was  hard  and  progress  necessarily 
slow.  Nevertheless,  it  was  so  early  in  the  day  that  I  sug- 
gested going  a  little  further.  Soon,  however,  seeing  the 
futility  of  trying  to  bring  him  to  my  way  of  thinking,  I 
began  arrangements  for  making  camp.  Better  to  go 
slowly  than  not  to  travel  at  all.  Close  to  my  tent,  grow- 
ing on  low  trees,  were  a  great  number  of  beautiful  yel- 
low and  white  orchids. 

Toward  sunset,  Bangsul  surprised  me  by  bringing  all 
the  men  to  my  tent.  He  said  they  wanted  to  go  home 
because  they  were  afraid  I  should  expect  too  much  of 
them,  as  they  all  wanted  to  travel  plan-plan  (slowly). 
The  Penyahbongs  before  me  were  of  a  decent  sort,  and 
even  the  Malays  were  a  little  more  gentle  and  honest 
than  usual.     Bangsul  was  "the  whole  thing,"  and  I  felt 


l68  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

myself  equal  to  the  situation.  This  was  his  first  lUtcmpt 
at  a  strike  for  higher  wages  and  came  unexpectedly  soon» 
but  was  quickly  settled  by  my  offer  to  raise  the  wages  for 
the  six  most  useful  and  strongest  men. 

After  our  baggage  had  been  stored  above  the  head  of 
the  kihams,  and  the  prahus  had  been  taken  up  to  the 
same  place,  we  followed  overland.  As  we  broke  camp 
two  argus  pheasants  flew  over  the  utan  through  the  mist 
which  the  sun  was  trying  to  disperse.  We  walked  along 
the  stony  course  of  the  rapids,  and  when  the  jungle  now 
and  then  allowed  a  peep  at  the  roaring  waters  it  seemed 
incredible  that  the  prahus  had  been  hauled  up  along  the 
other  side.  Half  an  hour's  walk  brought  us  to  the  head 
of  the  kihams  where  the  men  were  loading  the  prahus 
that  were  lying  peacefully  in  still  waters.  The  watch- 
men who  had  slept  here  pointed  out  a  tree  where  about 
twenty  argus  pheasants  had  roosted. 

Waiting  for  the  prahus  to  be  loaded,  I  sat  down  on 
one  of  the  big  stones  of  the  river  bank  to  enjoy  a  small 
landscape  that  presented  itself  on  the  west  side  of  the 
stream.  When  long  accustomed  to  the  enclosing  walls 
of  the  dark  jungle  a  change  is  grateful  to  the  eye.  Against 
the  sky  rose  a  bold  chalk  cliff  over  200  metres  high  with 
wooded  summit,  the  edge  fringed  with  sago  palms  in  a 
very  decorative  manner.  This  is  one  of  the  two  ridges 
we  had  seen  at  a  distance;  the  other  is  higher  and  was 
passed  further  up  the  river.  From  the  foot  of  the  cliff 
the  jungle  sloped  steeply  down  toward  the  water.  The 
blue  sky,  a  few  drifting  white  clouds,  the  beautiful  light 
of  the  fresh,  glorious  morning,  afforded  moments  of  dc- 


THE  GREAT  HORNBILL  169 

light  that  made  one  forget  all  the  trouble  encountered  in 
getting  here.  It  seems  as  if  the  places  least  visited  by 
men  are  the  most  attractive. 

Four  hornbills  were  flying  about.  They  settled  on 
the  branches  of  a  tall  dead  tree  that  towered  high  above 
the  jungle  and  deported  themselves  in  strange  ways, 
moving  busily  about  on  the  branch;  after  a  few  min- 
utes three  of  them  flew  away,  the  other  remaining  quietly 
behind.  There  are  several  kinds  of  hornbills;  they 
are  peculiar  birds  in  that  the  male  is  said  to  close  with 
mud  the  entrance  to  the  nest  in  the  hollow  stem  of  the 
tree,  thus  confining  the  female  while  she  is  sitting  on  her 
eggs.  Only  a  small  hole  is  left  through  which  he  feeds 
her. 

The  great  hornbill  {rhino flax  vigil)  flies  high  over  the 
jungle  in  a  straight  line  and  usually  is  heard  before  it 
is  seen,  so  loud  is  the  noise  made  by  the  beating  of  the 
wings.  Its  clamorous  call  is  never  to  be  forgotten,  more 
startling  than  the  laughter  of  the  laughing  jackass  of 
Australia.  The  sound  inspires  the  Dayak  with  courage 
and  fire.  When  he  takes  the  young  out  of  the  nest,  later 
to  serve  him  as  food,  the  parent  bird  darts  at  the  intruder. 
The  hornbill  is  an  embodiment  of  force  that  may  be 
either  beneficent  or  harmful,  and  has  been  appropriated 
by  the  Dayaks  to  serve  various  purposes.  Wooden 
images  of  this  bird  are  put  up  as  guardians,  and  few  de- 
signs in  textile  or  basket  work  are  as  common  as  that  of 
the  tingang.  The  handsome  tail  feathers  of  the  rhi- 
noceros hornbill,  with  transverse  bands  of  alternate 
white  and  black,  are  highly  valued;  the  warriors  attach 


I70  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

them  to  their  rattan  caps,  and  from  the  solid  casque  with 
whiih  the  l)e.ik  of  the  ^iant  species  is  provided,  are 
carved  the  lari^e  red  ear  ornaments.  Aided  by  the 
siimpitan  the  Dayaks  and  Punans  are  expert  in  bring- 
ing down  the  rather  shy  birds  of  the  tall  trees. 

Three  hours  later  we  had  managed  to  carry  all  our 
goods  above  the  kiham  Duyan,  which  is  only  one  hundred 
metres  long,  but  with  a  fall  of  at  least  four  metres;  conse- 
quently in  its  lower  part  it  rushes  like  a  disorderly  water- 
fall. It  took  the  men  one  and  a  half  hours  to  pull  the 
empty  prahus  up  along  the  irregular  bank,  and  I  stood  on 
a  low  rock  which  protruded  above  the  water  below  the 
falls,  watching  the  proceedings  with  much  interest.  The 
day  was  unusually  warm  and  full  of  moisture,  as,  without 
hat,  in  the  burning  sun  I  tried  for  over  an  hour  to  get 
snapshots,  while  two  kinds  of  bees,  one  very  small,  j)er- 
sistently  clung  to  my  hands,  face,  and  hair. 

The  journey  continued  laborious;  it  consisted  mostly 
in  unloading  and  reloading  the  prahus  and  marching 
through  rough  country,  now  on  one  side  of  the  river, 
now  on  the  other,  where  the  jungle  leeches  were  very 
active  and  the  ankles  of  the  men  were  bleeding.  At 
times  the  prahus  had  to  be  dragged  over  the  big  stones 
that  form  the  banks  of  the  river.  It  was  easy  to  under- 
stand what  difHculties  and  delays  might  be  encountered 
here  in  case  of  much  rain.  But  in  sjMte  ol  a  lew 
heavy  showers  the  weather  favoured  us,  and  on  the  last 
day  of  the  month  we  had  successfully  passed  the  rapids. 
Next  morning,  after  j)ulling  down  my  tent,  the  Penyah- 
bongs  placed  stray  pieces  of  paper  on  top  of  the  remain- 
ing tent-poles  as  a  sign  of  joy  that  tlie  kiliains  were  left 


PIG-HUNTING  171 

behind.  There  still  remained  some  that  were  obstinate 
on  account  of  low  water,  but  with  our  experience  and  con- 
certed action  those  were  easily  overcome,  and  early  in  the 
afternoon  we  arrived  at  Djudjang,  a  rough,  unattractive, 
and  overgrown  camp,  where  I  decided  to  stay  until  next 
morning.  Many  Malays  die  from  beri-beri,  but  there  is 
little  malaria  among  those  who  work  in  the  utan  of  the 
Busang  River.  The  half  dozen  men  who  were  present 
were  certainly  a  strong  and  healthy-looking  lot.  One  of 
them,  with  unusually  powerful  muscles  and  short  legs, 
declined  to  be  photographed. 

Our  next  camp  was  at  a  pleasant  widening  of  the 
river  with  a  low-lying,  spacious  beach  of  pebbles.  I 
pitched  my  tent  on  higher  ground  on  the  edge  of  the 
jungle.  Some  of  the  Penyahbongs,  always  in  good  hu- 
mour and  enjoying  themselves,  went  out  with  sumpitans 
to  hunt  pig,  and  about  seven  o'clock,  on  a  beautiful  star- 
lit night,  a  big  specimen  was  brought  in,  which  I  went  to 
look  at.  While  one  man  opened  it  by  cutting  length- 
wise across  the  ribs,  another  was  engaged  taking  out  the 
poison-carrying,  triangular  point.  With  his  knife  the 
latter  deftly  cut  all  around  the  wound,  taking  out  some 
flesh,  and  after  a  little  while  he  found  part  of  the  point, 
then  the  rest.  It  looked  like  glass  or  flint  and  had 
been  broken  transversely  in  two;  usually  it  is  made  of 
bamboo  or  other  hard  wood. 

The  bladder  was  carefully  cut  out,  and  a  man  carried 
it  off  and  threw  it  away  in  order  that  the  hunters  should 
not  be  short  of  breath  when  walking.  The  huge  head, 
about  fifty  centimetres  long,  which  was  bearded  and  had 
a  large  snout,  was  cut  off  with  part  of  the  neck  and  car- 


172  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

ried  to  one  of  the  camps,  with  a  piece  of  the  liver,  which 
is  considered  the  best  part.  I  had  decHned  it,  as  the 
meat  of  the  wild  pig  is  very  poor  and  to  my  taste  repul- 
sive; this  old  male  being  also  unusually  tough,  the  sol- 
diers complained.  The  following  morning  I  saw  the  head 
and  jaws  almost  entirely  untouched,  too  tough  even  for 
the  Penyahbongs. 

Next  day  the  river  ran  much  narrower  and  between 
rocky  sides.  In  the  forenoon  the  first  prahu  came  upon 
an  otter  eating  a  huge  fish  which  the  strong  animal  had 
dragged  up  on  a  rock,  and  of  which  the  men  immediately 
took  possession.  It  was  cut  up  in  bits  and  distributed 
among  all  of  them,  the  otter  thus  saving  the  expedition 
thirty-two  rations  of  dried  fish  that  evening  and  next 
morning.  To  each  side  of  the  head  was  attached  a 
powerful  long  spine  which  stood  straight  out.  The  na- 
tives called  the  fish  kendokat. 

At  one  place  where  the  water  ran  smoothly,  one  man 
from  each  prahu  pulled  its  rattan  rope,  the  rest  poling. 
I  saw  the  Penyahbong  who  was  dragging  my  prahu  sud- 
denly catch  sight  of  something  under  the  big  stones  over 
which  he  walked,  and  then  he  stopped  to  investigate. 
From  my  seat  I  perceived  a  yellowish  snake  about  one 
and  a  half  metres  long  swimming  under  and  among  the 
stones.  A  man  from  the  prahu  following  ours  came  for- 
ward quickly  and  began  to  chase  it  in  a  most  determined 
manner.  With  his  right  hand  he  caught  hold  of  the 
tail  and  twisted  it;  then,  as  the  body  was  underneath 
the  junction  of  two  stones,  with  his  left  hand  he  tried 
to  seize  the  head  which  emerged  on  the  other  side.  The 
snake  was  lively  and  bit  at  his  hand  furiously,  which  he 


PISHA.  THE  (.(M)\i  l'ENVAHHON(i  (  HIEK.    TAMALOK 


ARRIVAL  AT  TAMALOE  173 

did  not  mind  in  the  least.  Others  came  to  his  assistance 
and  struck  at  its  head  with  their  paddles,  but  were  un- 
able to  accomplish  their  purpose  as  it  was  too  well  en- 
trenched. 

A  splendid  primitive  picture  of  the  savage  in  pursuit 
of  his  dinner,  the  Penyahbong  stood  erect  with  his  back 
toward  me,  holding  the  tail  firmly.  After  a  few  moments 
he  bent  down  again  trying  in  vain  to  get  hold  of  its  neck, 
but  not  being  able  to  pull  the  snake  out  he  had  to  let  the 
dainty  morsel  go.  Later  we  saw  one  swimming  down  the 
current,  which  the  Penyahbongs  evidently  also  would 
have  liked  a  trial  at  had  we  not  already  passed  the  place. 

The  river  widened  out  again,  the  rocks  on  the  sides 
disappeared,  and  deep  pools  were  passed,  though  often 
the  water  ran  very  shallow,  so  the  prahus  were  dragged 
along  with  difficulty.  Fish  were  plentiful,  some  aston- 
ishingly large.  In  leaping  for  something  on  the  surface 
they  made  splashes  as  if  a  man  had  jumped  into  the 
water.  On  the  last  day,  as  the  morning  mist  began  to 
rise,  our  thirty  odd  men,  eager  to  get  home,  poling  the 
prahus  with  long  sticks,  made  a  picturesque  sight.  In 
early  March,  after  a  successful  journey,  we  arrived  at 
Tamaloe,  having  consumed  only  fourteen  days  from 
Bahandang  because  weather  conditions  had  been  favour- 
able, with  no  overflow  of  the  river  and  little  rain.  It  was 
pleasant  to  know  that  the  most  laborious  part  of  the 
expedition  was  over.  I  put  up  my  tent  under  a  large 
durian  tree,  which  was  then  in  bloom. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

THE     PENYAHBONGS,    MEN     OF    THE     WOODS — RHINOCEROS 

HUNTERS CHARACTERISTICS     OF    THE     PENYAHBONGS 

—  EASY  HOUSEKEEPING — DAILY  LIFE — WOMAN's  LOT 

The  Pcnyahbongs  until  lately  were  nomadic  people, 
roaming  about  in  the  nearby  Miiller  mountains,  sub- 
sisting on  wild  sago  and  the  chase  and  cultivating  some 
tobacco.  They  lived  in  bark  huts  on  the  ground  or  in 
trees.  Some  eight  years  previous  to  my  visit  they  were 
induced  by  the  government  to  form  kampongs  and  adopt 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  while  most  of  them  appear  to 
be  in  the  western  division,  two  kampongs  were  formed 
east  of  the  mountains,  the  Sabaoi  and  the  Tamaloe,  with 
less  than  seventy  inhabitants  altogether.  Tamaloe  is  the 
name  of  an  antoh  (spirit)  who  lived  here  in  the  distant 
past. 

The  kampong  consists  of  four  small,  poorly  built 
communal  houses,  and  of  the  Malays  who  have  settled 
here,  in  houses  of  their  own  making,  the  most  important 
is  Bangsul,  who  married  a  daughter  of  Pisha,  the  Pcnyah- 
bong  chief.  Both  before  and  since  their  transition  to 
sedentary  habits  the  Penyahbongs  have  been  influenced 
by  the  Saputans,  their  nearest  neighbours,  four  days* 
journey  to  the  north,  on  the  other  side  of  the  water-shed. 
Their  ideas  about  rice  culture  and  the  superstitions  and 
festivals  attending  it,  come  from  the  Saputans,  of  whom 
also  a  few  live  in  Tamaloe.  They  have  only  recently 
learned  to  swim  and  many  do  not  yet  know  how  to  paddle. 

>74 


THE   PENYAHBONGS  175 

It  may  be  of  some  interest  to  note  the  usual  occurrence 
of  rain  at  this  kampong  as  gathered  from  native  observa- 
tion. April-July  there  is  no  rain;  August-October,  little; 
November  and  December  have  a  little  more;  January 
much;  February  and  March  less. 

Every  evening  as  long  as  we  remained  here  Pisha,  the 
chief,  used  to  sing,  reciting  mythical  events,  thereby 
attracting  good  antohs  (spirits)  and  keeping  the  evil  ones 
away,  to  the  end  that  his  people  might  be  in  good  health 
and  protected  against  misfortune.  His  efforts  certainly 
were  persevering,  and  he  had  a  good  voice  that  sounded 
far  into  the  night,  but  his  songs  were  of  such  an  extra- 
ordinarily melancholy  character  that  it  still  makes  me 
depressed  to  remember  them.  He  was  an  amiable  man, 
whose  confidence  I  gained  and  who  cheerfully  gave  any 
information  I  wanted.  Of  his  five  daughters  and  three 
sons  only  the  youngest  daughter,  who  was  not  yet  mar- 
ried, was  allowed  to  pronounce  Pisha's  name,  according 
to  custom.  Nor  was  it  permissible  for  his  sons-in-law  to 
give  me  the  name,  still  less  for  him  to  do  so  himself. 

After  Mr.  Demmini's  departure  all  the  photographing 
fell  upon  me,  to  which  I  had  no  objection,  but  it  was  out  of 
the  question  also  to  do  developing,  except  of  the  kodak 
films,  and  as  the  lieutenant,  who  had  done  some  before, 
thought  he  could  undertake  it,  the  matter  was  so  arranged. 
The  first  attempts,  while  not  wholly  successful,  were  not 
discouraging,  and  as  time  went  on  the  lieutenant  turned 
out  satisfactory  results.  We  had  a  couple  of  days'  visit 
from  the  kapala  of  Sebaoi,  a  tall  and  nervous-looking 
Penyahbong,  but  friendly,  as  were  the  rest  of  them.     I 


176  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

was  then  engaged  in  photographing  and  taking  anthropo- 
metric measurements  of  the  gently  protesting  natives,  to 
whose  primitive  minds  these  operations  appear  weirdly 
mysterious.  At  first  the  kapala  positively  declined  to 
take  any  part  in  this  work,  but  finally  reached  the  con- 
clusion that  he  would  be  measured,  but  photographed  he 
could  not  be,  because  his  wife  was  pregnant.  For  that 
reason  he  also  declined  a  glass  of  gin  which  the  lieutenant 
offered  him. 

The  valiant  man  who  had  tried  to  catch  the  yellow 
snake  on  our  ri\er  voyage  called  on  me  with  his  wife, 
who  knew  how  to  embroider  well,  and  I  bought  some 
shirts  embellished  with  realistic  representations  of  an- 
imals, etc.  The  husband  had  that  unsightly  skin  disease 
{tinra  imhricata)  that  made  his  body  appear  to  be  covered 
with  half-loose  fish  scales.  Next  day,  to  my  amazement, 
he  had  shed  the  scales.  The  previous  night  he  had  ap- 
plied a  remedy  which  made  it  possible  to  peel  the  dead 
skin  off,  and  his  face,  chest,  and  stomach  were  clean,  as 
were  also  his  legs  and  arms.  His  back  was  still  faulty 
because  he  had  not  had  enough  of  the  remedy,  but  he  was 
going  to  tackle  the  back  tliat  evening.  The  remedy, 
which  had  been  taught  them  by  the  Saputans,  consists 
of  two  kinds  of  bark  and  the  large  leaves  of  a  jungle 
plant  with  red  flowers,  one  of  which  was  growing  near 
my  tent. 

All  the  tribes  visited  by  mc  suffer  more  or  less  from 
various  kinds  of  skin  diseases  caused  by  micro-parasitic 
animals,  the  Kenyahs  and  Oma-Suiings  in  a  nnuli  less 
degree.     The  most   repulsive  form,  just  described,  does 


THE   PENYAHBONGS  177 

not  seem  to  interfere  with  general  health.  Three  of  my 
Kayan  carriers  thus  affected  were  more  muscular  and 
stronger  than  the  rest.  One  of  them  was  the  humorous 
member  of  the  party,  always  cutting  capers  and  dancing. 
Women  are  less  affected  than  men,  and  I  often  saw  men 
with  the  disfiguring  scaly  disease  whose  wives  were  evi- 
dently perfectly  free  from  it. 

A  party  of  six  fine-looking  Penyahbongs  were  here  on 
a  rhinoceros  hunting  expedition.  They  came  from  the 
western  division,  and  as  the  rhino  had  been  nearly  exter- 
minated in  the  mountain  ranges  west  and  northwest  of 
Tamaloe,  the  hunters  were  going  farther  east.  Such  a 
party  carries  no  provisions,  eating  sago  and  animals  that 
they  kill.  Their  weapons  are  sumpitans  and  parangs, 
and  equipment  for  stamping  sago  forms  part  of  their  out- 
fit. The  rhino  is  approached  stealthily  and  the  large 
spear-point  on  one  end  of  the  sumpitan  is  thrust  into  its 
belly.  Thus  wounded  it  is  quite  possible,  in  the  dense 
jungle,  to  keep  in  touch  with  it,  and,  according  to  trust- 
worthy reports,  one  man  alone  is  able  in  this  way  to  kill 
a  rhino.  It  is  hunted  for  the  horn,  which  Chinamen  will 
buy. 

At  my  request  two  of  the  hunters  gave  war-dances 
very  well,  taking  turns.  Their  movements  were  grace- 
ful, and  in  the  moonlight  they  appeared  sinuous  as  ser- 
pents. The  same  dance  obtains  in  all  the  tribes  visited, 
and  the  movement  is  forward  and  back,  or  in  a  circle.  It 
was  performed  by  one  man  who  in  a  preliminary  way  exer- 
cised the  flexible  muscles  of  the  whole  body,  after  which 
he  drew  his  sword^  seized  the  shield  which  was  lying  on 


178  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

the  ground  and  continued  his  dancing  more  vigorously, 
but  with  equal  grace.  Pisha,  the  chief,  came  to  the  dance, 
and  the  meeting  with  the  new  arrivals,  though  silent  and 
undemonstrative,  was  decidedly  affectionate,  especially 
with  one  of  them  who  was  a  near  relative.  Half  embrac- 
ing each  other,  they  stood  thus  at  least  a  minute. 

The  Penyahbongs  have  rather  long  legs,  take  long 
paces,  putting  down  their  heels  first.  They  have  great  en- 
durance and  can  walk  in  one  day  as  far  as  a  Malay  can 
in  three.  In  the  mountains  the  cold  weather  prevented 
them  from  sleeping  much.  It  often  happened  that  they 
were  without  food  for  three  days,  when  they  would  drink 
water  and  smoke  tobacco.  Trees  are  climbed  in  the  jump- 
ing way  described  before,  and  without  any  mechanical 
aid.  Formerly  bathing  was  not  customary.  Excrements 
are  left  on  the  ground  and  not  in  the  water.  They 
don't  like  the  colour  red,  but  prefer  black.  Fire  was 
made  by  flint  and  iron,  which  they  procured  from  the 
Saputans. 

The  hair  is  not  cut  nor  their  teeth.  The  women  wear 
around  the  head  a  ring  of  cloth  inside  of  which  are  vari- 
ous odoriferous  leaves  and  flowers  of  doubtful  apprecia- 
tion by  civilised  olfactory  senses.  A  strong-smelling 
piece  of  skin  from  the  civet  cat  is  often  attached  to  this 
head  ornament,  which  is  also  favoured  by  natives  on  the 
Mahakam. 

In  regard  to  ear  ornamentation  the  Penyahbongs  arc 
at  least  on  a  par  with  the  most  extreme  fashions  of  the 
Dayaks.  The  men  make  three  slits  in  the  ear;  in  the 
upper  part  a  wooden  disk  is  enclosed,  in  the  middle  the 


x;    'S  i 


I'KNVAIIKO.Nc;  WOMKN.      lAMALOE 
The  skirU  arc  bought  from  MaLiy  iradcrs 


h\i  K  MFv.  'ii    rnK  ri.NV\niif>\<,  \vnMr,\   '-iin\vi\(,  iiiiik  hi  vd-iiki.ss 


THE   PENYAHBONGS  179 

tusk  of  a  large  species  of  cat,  and  in  the  lobe,  which  is 
stretched  very  long,  hangs  a  brass  coil.  The  ears  of  the 
women  have  only  two  incisions,  the  one  in  the  middle 
part  being  adorned  with  bead  strings,  while  in  the  lobe 
up  to  one  hundred  tin  rings  may  be  seen.  They  are 
tatued,  and  noticeable  on  the  men  is  a  succession  of  stars 
across  the  chest,  as  if  hanging  on  a  thread  which  is  lower 
in  the  middle.  The  stars  symbolise  the  fruits  of  durian. 
The  colour  of  the  tatuing  is  obtained  from  damar. 

Formerly  they  wore  scanty  garments  of  fibre,  the  man 
wearing  only  a  loin  cloth,  and  in  case  of  cold  weather  a 
piece  of  the  same  material  covered  the  shoulders  and  back. 
The  woman  had  a  short  skirt  folded  together  at  the  back, 
and  both  sexes  used  rattan  caps.  Besides  sago  their 
main  subsistence  was,  and  still  is,  all  kinds  of  animals, 
including  carnivorous,  monkeys,  bears,  snakes,  etc.  The 
gall  and  urine  bladder  were  universally  thrown  away,  but 
at  present  these  organs  from  bear  and  large  snakes  are 
sold  to  traders  who  dispose  of  them  to  Chinamen.  For- 
merly these  people  had  no  salt. 

No  cooking  utensils  were  employed.  Sago  was 
wrapped  in  leaves  and  placed  on  the  fire,  and  the  meat 
was  roasted.  There  is  no  cooking  separately  for  men 
and  women,  and  meals  are  taken  irregularly,  but  usually 
twice  a  day.  The  crocodile  is  not  eaten,  because  it  would 
make  one  mad,  nor  are  domestic  dogs  or  omen  birds  used 
for  food.  Honey  is  collected  by  cutting  down  the  tree. 
Their  principal  weapon  is  the  sumpitan,  which,  as  usual, 
with  a  spear  point  lashed  to  one  end,  also  serves  as  spear 
and  is  bought  from  the  Saputans.     Parang  and  shield 


i8o      THROUGH  CENTRAL  BORNEO 

complete  the  man's  outfit.  On  the  Busang  only  ten  ipoh 
(upas)  trees  are  known  from  which  poison  may  be  ob- 
tained for  the  blow-pipe  darts;  to  get  a  new  supply  a 
journey  of  two  days  down  the  river  is  necessary,  and  six 
for  the  return. 

Except  for  a  few  cases  of  malaria,  among  the  Penyah- 
bongs  there  is  no  disease.  In  191 1  the  cholera  epidemic 
reached  them,  as  well  as  the  Saputans.  Of  remedies  they 
have  none.  At  the  sight  of  either  of  the  two  species  of 
venomous  snakes  of  the  king  cobra  family  this  native 
takes  to  his  heels,  and  if  bitten  the  wound  is  not  treated 
with  ipoh.  Until  recently  they  had  no  blians;  there  were, 
at  this  time,  two  in  Tamaloe,  one  Saputan  and  one  Ma- 
lay, and  the  one  in  the  other  kampong  learned  his  art 
from  the  Saputans.  One  man  does  not  kill  another, 
though  he  may  kill  a  member  of  the  Bukat  tribe,  neigh- 
bouring nomads  who  live  in  the  northeast  of  the  western 
division,  in  the  mountains  toward  Sarawak.  Suicide  is 
unknown.  It  was  asserted  to  me  that  the  Penyahbongs 
do  not  steal  nor  lie,  though  I  found  the  Saputans  un- 
trustworthy in  these  respects. 

There  is  no  marriage  ceremony,  but  the  young  man 
must  pay  the  parents  of  the  bride  one  gong  (f.  30),  and  if 
the  girl  is  the  daughter  of  a  chief  her  price  is  six  gongs. 
About  half  of  the  men  select  very  youthful  wives,  from 
eight  years  up.  There  are  boys  of  ten  married  to  girls 
of  a  similar  age.  One  boy  of  fourteen  was  married  to  a 
girl  of  twenty.  Children  of  the  chief  being  much  sought, 
one  of  Pisha's  daughters,  twenty-three  years  old,  had 
been  disposed  of  when  she  was  at  her  mother's  breast, 


THE  PENYAHBONGS  i8i 

her  future  husband  being  twenty  at  that  time.  Upon 
reaching  womanhood  she  did  not  Uke  him  at  first,  and  for 
five  years  decHned  to  share  the  mat  with  him.  Re- 
cently, however,  she  had  begun  to  associate  with  him, 
and  they  had  one  child.  The  children  are  not  beaten, 
are  left  to  pick  up  by  themselves  whatever  knowledge  is 
necessary,  and  when  the  boy  is  ten  years  old  he  can  kill 
his  babi  with  a  sumpitan.  The  parents  of  young  girls 
do  not  allow  them  to  be  too  intimate  with  young  men. 

A  pregnant  woman  must  not  eat  durian  which,  in 
falling  from  the  tree,  has  broken,  or  stuck  in  a  cleft  with- 
out reaching  the  ground,  nor  any  kind  of  fruit  that  does 
not  fall  straight  to  earth,  nor  sago  from  a  palm  tree 
which  chanced  to  become  entangled  by  a  branch  instead 
of  falling  directly  to  the  ground,  nor  the  large  hornbill, 
nor  snakes,  nor  pigs,  nor  fish  that  were  killed  by  being 
struck  on  the  head,  or  by  any  other  means  than  with 
spear  or  parang,  nor  land  turtle,  nor  the  scaly  ant-eater. 
She  must  not  make  a  house  or  take  part  in  making  it, 
and  therefore  if  a  pole  has  to  be  put  in  place  she  must 
call  another  woman  to  do  it. 

Further,  she  must  not  eat  an  animal  which  has  lost 
one  or  both  eyes,  nor  one  the  foot  of  which  has  been 
crushed,  nor  an  animal  of  strong  odour  (like  civet  cat, 
skunk,  etc.,  not  an  off^ensive  smell  to  these  natives); 
nor  are  she  and  her  husband  permitted  to  gather  rubber, 
nor  may  wood  be  gathered  for  fire-making  which  has  roads 
on  it  made  by  ants.  She  must  not  drink  water  from  a 
back  current,  nor  water  which  runs  through  a  fallen  tree. 
A  pig  may  be  eaten,  but  if  it  has  a  fcEtus  inside  that  must 


i82  THROUGH  CENTRAL   RORNEO 

be  avoided.  The  husband  also  observes  all  these  tabus 
and  precautions. 

The  Penyahbongs  rise  before  dawn.  Fire  is  made, 
primitive  man's  greatest  comfort,  and  they  seat  them- 
selves before  it  awaiting  daylight,  the  woman  brings  her 
child  near  it,  and  all  smoke  strong  native  tobacco.  With- 
out first  eating,  the  man  goes  out  to  hunt  for  animals, 
usually  alone,  but  if  two  or  three  go  together  they  later 
separate.  The  hunter  leaves  his  parang  at  home,  tak- 
ing only  the  sumpitan.  He  may  not  return  until  the 
afternoon.  Small  game  he  carries  home  himself,  but 
when  a  large  animal  has  been  killed,  as  wild  pig,  deer,  bear, 
large  monkey,  he  will  leave  it  in  the  utan  for  his  wife 
to  bring  home.  In  case  of  a  rhino  being  slain  he  will  re- 
move the  horn,  but  the  woman  will  cut  up  the  animal 
and  take  it  home,  unless  it  is  too  late,  when  she  postpones 
the  task  until  the  next  morning. 

The  husband  is  fond  of  singing,  and,  accompanying 
himself  by  striking  the  rattan  strings  attached  to  the 
back  of  a  shield,  he  may  occupy  himself  in  this  way  until 
the  small  hours  of  the  morning.  Women  make  mats  in 
the  evening,  or  do  work  of  some  kind,  and  the  young  peo- 
ple may  play  and  sing  for  a  while,  or  they  may  listen  to 
the  singing  of  the  lord  of  the  household;  but  gradually  all 
go  to  sleep  except  the  wife. 

Besides  the  small  knife  for  splitting  rattan,  which  is 
the  special  implement  of  the  Dayak  woman,  the  fair  sex 
of  the  Penyahbongs  has  a  parang,  a  spear,  an  axe,  a  bone 
implement  used  in  working  rattan  mats,  and  a  rattan 
bag  which  is  carried  on  the  back.     The  women  in  several 


THE  PENYAIinOSO  WAR  DANCE.    TAMAIXJE 

Thu  (lancr  id  pracliMtl  liy  many  Payak  lril»c» 

Fr<iin  a  kincinaU>({ra|>h  film 


THE   PENYAHBONGS  183 

Dayak  tribes  also  possess  such  feminine  accessories. 
With  the  Penyahbongs  the  male  chiefly  hunts,  the  female 
doing  all  the  work.  She  makes  the  house,  cuts  the  sago 
palm,  and  prepares  the  sago.  When  setting  forth  to  bring 
home  the  animal  killed  by  her  husband  she  carries  her 
own  parang  with  which  to  cut  it  up,  placing  it  inside  the 
rattan  bag  on  her  back.  With  one  or  two  other  women 
she  may  go  out  with  the  dogs  to  kill  wild  pigs  with  a 
spear.  When  searching  for  the  many  kinds  of  fruit  found 
in  the  utan  her  own  axe  is  carried  with  which  to  cut  the 
tree  down,  for  she  never  climbs  to  pick  the  fruit.  As  for 
the  durian,  she  waits  until  it  falls  ripe  to  the  ground.  The 
woman  also  brings  water  and  firewood,  does  all  the  cook- 
ing, and  then  calls  her  husband  that  he  may  eat.  Bas- 
ketry is  not  known,  but  the  rattan  mat  and  the  mat  of 
palm  leaves  on  which  these  natives  sleep  are  nicely  made 
by  the  women,  who  also  manufacture  the  large  mat  on 
which  the  stamping  of  sago,  by  human  feet,  is  performed. 
In  changing  abode  women  carry  everything,  the  men  con- 
veying only  the  sumpitan  and  the  darts,  probably  also  a 
child  that  is  big  enough  to  walk,  but  the  small  child  the 
woman  always  carries.  If  the  men  go  to  war  the  women 
remain  behind  and  defend  themselves  if  attacked. 

Although  the  woman  thus  bears  an  absurdly  large  share 
of  the  family  burden,  nevertheless  it  cannot  be  said  that 
her  lot  is  an  unhappy  one,  because  she  is  not  the  slave  of 
the  man,  as  is  the  case,  for  instance,  with  the  Australian 
savages.  From  time  immemorial  their  society  has  known 
no  other  conditions,  and  the  married  couples  are  generally 
happy.     Both  of  them  treat  their  children  with  affection, 


1 84  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

and  though  the  husband  may  become  angry,  he  only 
uses  his  tongue,  never  strikes  her,  and  he  has  no  polyga- 
mous inclinations.  Divorces,  though  permissible,  do  not 
occur,  because  there  is  a  natural  feeling  against  illicit 
relations  with  the  husband  or  wife  of  another.  More- 
over, the  rest  of  the  community  would  resent  it.  Bang- 
sul,  who  had  been  there  seven  years,  had  never  heard  of 
divorce. 

When  a  man  is  near  death  his  family  and  others  gather 
around  him  to  see  him  die,  but  without  attempt  to  restore 
him  to  health.  When  dead  his  eyes  are  closed,  he  is 
washed,  and  a  new  chavat  of  fibre  as  well  as  a  new  shirt 
of  the  same  material  is  given  him.  Tobacco  is  put  in  his 
mouth,  four  cigarettes  on  his  abdomen,  and  on  his  chest 
and  stomach  are  placed  sago  and  cooked  wild  pig  or  some 
other  meat  for  him  to  eat.  Four  bamboos  filled  with 
water  are  set  upright  near  by.  His  sumpitan  with  its 
darts,  poison  for  the  darts,  the  parang,  shield,  and  his 
musical  instruments  if  he  has  any — in  short,  one  sample  of 
everything  he  had  is  laid  down  by  his  side.  What  little 
else  may  be  left  goes  to  the  widow.  When  a  woman  dies 
she  is  treated  in  the  same  way,  but  the  nose  flute  is  the 
only  instrument  that  accompanies  her. 

A  tree  is  cut  down  and  from  the  log  a  dugout  is  made 
in  which  the  corpse  is  placed,  a  board  being  loosely  fast- 
ened as  a  cover.  This  coffin  is  placed  on  a  simple  plat- 
form in  the  utan.  There  is  no  feast  attending  this  rite. 
I  visited  the  burial-place  (taaran)  of  Tamaloe  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river  about  a  kilometre  away.  It  was  diflicult 
to  find,  for  the  small  space  which  is  cleared  of  jungle 


THE  PENYAHBONGS  185 

whenever  there  is  a  funeral  very  soon  grows  up  again. 
Only  two  boxes,  each  containing  the  corpse  of  a  child, 
were  in  good  condition,  the  rest  having  fallen  down  and 
disappeared  through  the  action  of  rains  and  wild  pigs. 

After  the  husband's  death  the  widow  eats  only  every 
second  day  for  a  month;  after  that  she  is  free  to  eat,  but 
for  a  year  she  weeps  twice  a  day,  morning  and  evening, — 
though  sometimes  she  forgets.  The  father,  mother,  and 
sister  of  the  deceased  also  take  part  in  the  one-year  period 
of  wailing  twice  a  day.  After  that  period  has  elapsed  the 
widow  may  remarry.  For  the  widower  there  are  prac- 
tically the  same  regulations,  though  he  does  not  weep 
loudly,  and  after  eight  months  he  can  look  for  another 
wife;  but  first  he  must  have  taken  a  head. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

A  STRANGE  MAMMAL — ANIMAL  LIFE  IN  CENTRAL  BORNEO — 
A  SUPERB  AND  SILENT  REALM — VISIT  TO  A  SALT 
WATER  EXUDATION — PASSINc;  THE  DIVIDING  RIDGE  — 
A  MOUSE-DEER  CHASE ON  THE    KASAO   RIVER 

I  WAS  planning  a  visit  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Bu- 
sang River,  to  be  made  in  connection  with  our  future 
journey.  Few  natives,  if  any,  have  entered  that  region, 
which  was  described  as  very  mountainous,  though  the 
mountains  cannot  be  very  high.  But  all  who  were  ap- 
proached on  the  subject,  whether  Penyahbong  or  Malay, 
absolutely  declined  to  take  part  in  an  expedition  to  that 
country,  because  they  would  be  killed  by  an  animal 
called  nundun,  which  is  very  numerous  there.  They 
might  be  able  to  tackle  one,  they  said,  but  as  soon  as 
you  encounter  one  there  are  hundreds  more  coming  for 
you,  and  there  is  nothing  else  to  do  but  to  run  for  your 
life.  Those  regions,  although  known  to  be  rich  in  rub- 
ber trees,  are  shunned  by  all  natives.  Unless  this  is  an 
altogether  fabulous  animal,  which  is  hardly  likely  to  be 
the  case,  because  the  Punans  and  Bukats  confirmed  its 
existence,  it  would  appear  to  be  a  kind  of  bear  which  per- 
haps in  fruit  seasons  gathers  in  great  numbers,  and  which 
is  ferocious. 

Nundun,  in  Penyahbong  and  Bukat  called  bohang 
(bear),  is  said  to  run  faster  than  a  dog,  is  killed  with  the 
sumpitan  at  twenty  to  thirty  metres  distance,  and  is  eaten. 

i86 


WILD  LIFE  IN  CENTRAL  BORNEO         187 

It  is  further  declared  that  its  habitat  extends  through  the 
hilly  regions  between  the  headwaters  of  the  Busang  River 
and  the  Upper  Barito,  and  that  it  is  especially  numerous 
near  the  kampong  Kelasin.  If  any  one  with  the  hope  of 
possibly  finding  a  new  species  of  mammal  should  care  to 
follow  the  matter  up,  Kelasin  on  the  Upper  Barito  would 
not  be  an  extremely  difficult  place  to  reach,  with  good  men. 
Both  the  lieutenant  and  I,  having  so  many  rifles,  were 
much  inclined  to  defy  the  terrors  of  the  nundun,  but  de- 
sirable as  this  expedition  would  have  been,  it  had  to  be 
given  up  because  of  the  formidable  difficulties  in  getting 
men,  even  if  we  followed  the  route  over  the  watershed 
which  is  used  by  the  natives. 

Bangsul  had  undertaken  to  negotiate  with  us  on  behalf 
of  the  Penyahbongs  and  the  Malays,  and  although  in  some 
ways  he  was  an  estimable  man,  his  Malay  characteristic 
of  turning  everything  to  his  own  advantage  at  times  got 
the  better  of  him  and  delayed  an  agreement.  At  first 
they  demanded  a  sum  amounting  to  seven  florins  a  day 
for  each  of  the  twenty-nine  men  needed,  but  as  fourteen 
Malay  rubber-gatherers  arrived  very  opportunely,  it 
was  agreed  that  we  should  be  taken  to  the  Kasao  River 
for  300  florins  and  my  six  prahus.  The  natives  had 
some  trouble  deciding  how  the  prahus  should  be  divided 
among  them,  the  kapala  insisting  upon  having  the  largest 
and  best  for  himself. 

This  question  having  been  settled  through  Bangsul, 
on  March  22  we  departed.  Our  prahus  were  poled 
most  of  the  way  on  a  stream  which,  though  rather  shal- 
low, ran  with  a  swift  current,  and  at  times  made  my 


i88  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

heavily  loaded  craft  take  water.  In  Borneo  it  usually 
requires  as  many  days  to  get  up-stream  as  it  takes  hours 
to  come  down. 

We  stayed  for  the  night  at  a  former  camping  place  of 
rattan  seekers,  a  small,  narrow  clearing  on  the  river  brink, 
on  which  tents  and  sheds  were  huddled  closely  together 
in  the  way  military-  men  prefer  when  travelling  in  the 
utan.  The  paddlers  had  asked  us  to  be  ready  at  day- 
light, but  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  chilly  and  very  foggy 
morning  they  were  still  warming  themselves  around  the 
fire.  An  hour  later,  when  we  had  finished  loading  the 
prahus,  the  river  began  to  rise  incredibly  fast,  at  the  rate 
of  ten  centimetres  per  minute  in  the  first  six  minutes,  and 
in  two  hours  and  a  quarter  it  had  risen  2.30  metres, 
when  it  became  steady.  In  the  meantime  we  had  re- 
made our  camp,  hoping  that  the  river  might  permit  us 
to  travel  next  day.  Three  of  the  Penyahbongs  went  out 
hunting  with  the  only  sumpitan  we  had,  and  shortly 
afterward  returned  with  a  pig. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  we  were  much  surprised  by 
the  appearance  of  a  prahu  with  three  Dayaks  who  had  a 
dog  and  a  sumpitan  and  brought  a  pig  which  they  had 
killed  in  the  morning.  They  were  the  chief,  with  two 
companions,  from  Data  Laong  on  the  Kasao  River  for 
which  we  were  aiming.  The  rumour  of  our  j)arty  had 
reached  his  ears,  and  with  thirty  men  he  had  been  waiting 
for  us  on  this  side  of  the  watershed.  Their  scanty  pro- 
visions soon  ran  out,  and  after  waiting  nine  days  all  had 
returned  home  except  the  present  party,  whom  we  wel- 
comed.    The  new  men  proved  a  valuable  addition  to  our 


WILD  LIFE   IN   CENTRAL   BORNEO  189 

crew.  The  kapala,  who  was  attached  to  my  prahu,  was 
active  and  gave  his  orders  as  if  he  knew  how,  a  great  re- 
lief from  a  weak  Malay  that  hitherto  had  been  at  "the 
helm."  When  the  men  with  the  poles  were  unable  to 
move  the  boat  against  the  current,  the  small,  but  strongly 
built  man,  with  a  few  very  powerful  pushes,  would  bring 
it  forward,  making  it  vibrate  by  his  strength. 

At  Tamaloe  animals  and  birds  were  not  plentiful, 
the  call  of  the  wah-wah  usually  imparting  a  little  life  to 
the  mornings;  and  I  once  heard  a  crow.  I  do  not  remem- 
ber to  have  seen  on  the  whole  Busang  River  the  most 
familiar  of  all  birds  on  the  Bornean  rivers,  an  ordinary 
sandpiper  that  flits  before  you  on  the  beach.  Birds 
singing  in  the  morning  are  always  rare  except  in  the  locali- 
ties of  paddi  fields.  The  one  most  likely  to  attract  atten- 
tion on  a  forenoon  is  the  giant  hornbill,  and  as  we  ad- 
vanced up  the  Busang  its  laugh  might  still  be  heard. 
Much  more  unusual  was  the  call  of  some  lonely  argus 
pheasant  or  a  crow.  A  few  of  the  beautiful  white  raja 
birds  were  observed. 

Wild  pigs  and  deer  continued  plentiful,  but  the  mon- 
keys seemed  gradually  to  disappear.  Fish  there  were  in 
plenty,  but  they  were  now  of  smaller  kinds,  not  agreeable 
to  eat,  having  an  oily  taste  and  mostly  very  bony.  At  all 
our  camping  places  ants  of  various  kinds  were  numerous, 
also  Inside  of  the  tent,  but  they  did  not  seem  to  be  ob- 
noxious. Just  before  sunset  the  loud  voices  of  the  cicadas 
began,  and  after  dark  lovely  moths  were  attracted  by 
my  lamp,  while  during  the  night  bats  flew  in  and  out  of 
my  tent.     The  humidity  of  the  atmosphere  was  great. 


I90  TflROrOlI   CFXTRAI.    RORNEO 

Safety  matches  would  not  strike  fire  unless  kept  in  an  air- 
tight box.  My  cameras  were  inside  of  solid  steel  boxes, 
provided  with  rubber  bands  against  the  covers,  making 
them  water-tight.  Nevertheless,  upon  opening  one  that 
had  been  closed  for  three  weeks  the  camera  inside  was 
found  to  be  white  with  mould. 

It  was  rough  and  hard  travelling  on  account  of  inces- 
sant low  kihams  to  be  passed,  or  banks  of  small  stones 
over  which  the  prahus  had  to  be  dragged.  The  Penyah- 
bongs  had  not  yet  learned  to  be  good  boatmen,  often 
nearly  upsetting  the  prahu  when  getting  in  or  out. 
Occasionally  long  quiet  pools  occurred,  and  the  scenery 
here  was  grand  and  thrilling.  Graceful  trees  of  infinite 
variety  bent  over  the  water,  bearing  orchids  of  various 
colours,  while  creepers  hung  down  everywhere,  all  re- 
flected in  a  calm  surface  which  seldom  is  disturbed  by 
the  splashing  of  fish.  The  orchids  were  more  numerous 
than  I  had  ever  seen  before.  A  delicate  yellow  one, 
growing  in  spikes,  had  a  most  unusual  aromatic  fragrance, 
as  if  coming  from  another  world. 

In  the  morning  a  curtain  of  fog  lies  over  the  land- 
scape, but  about  nine  o'clock  it  begins  to  lift,  and 
creeping  up  over  the  tree-tops  gradually  dissolves  in  the 
sun-light,  while  between  the  trees  that  border  the  river 
the  deep-blue  sky  appears,  with  beautiful  small  cumulus 
clouds  suspended  in  the  atmosphere.  With  the  excep- 
tion, perhaps,  of  a  large  blue  kingfisher  sitting  in  solitary 
state  on  a  branch  extending  over  the  water,  or  a  distant 
hornbill  with  its  cheerful  grandiose  laugh,  there  arc 
no  evidences  of  animal    life,  nevertheless   the   exquisite 


WILD  LIFE  IN  CENTRAL  BORNEO         191 

scenery  seems  to  lure  the  beholder  on  and  on.  To  pass 
through  this  superb  and  silent  realm  was  like  a  pleasant 
dream.  There  are  no  mosquitoes  and  consequently  no 
malaria. 

We  were  progressing  through  a  country  of  which  little 
is  known  accurately  beyond  its  somewhat  hilly  character, 
and  the  fact  that  it  is  uninhabited  except  for  small  tran- 
sient parties  of  Malays  searching  for  rattan  or  rubber. 
The  upper  part  of  our  route  to  the  divide,  a  compara- 
tively short  distance,  had  not,  to  my  knowledge,  been 
traversed  by  white  men  before.  Errors  were  corrected 
on  the  map  of  the  watershed  region. 

One  day  at  noon,  while  we  were  waiting  for  the  largest 
prahu  to  overtake  us,  fresh  tracks  of  pig  were  discovered 
on  the  bank,  and  the  Saputan  dog,  a  very  wise  animal, 
was  landed.  A  few  minutes  later  he  began  the  peculiar 
barking  which  indicated  that  he  had  caught  the  scent, 
and  one  man  seized  a  sumpitan  and  ran  off  into  the  utan 
as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry  him,  holding  the  weapon  in 
his  right  hand  in  a  horizontal  position,  spear  end  first. 
It  sounded  as  if  the  dog  might  be  holding  the  pig  in  the 
water  a  little  higher  up,  but  this  was  soon  found  to  be  a 
mistake  when  the  barking  was  heard  close  by.  The 
Saputan  kapala  then  jumped  from  my  prahu,  drew  his 
parang,  and  with  wonderful  elastic  movements  disap- 
peared in  the  utan.  Two  or  three  minutes  later  they  re- 
turned, one  man  bearing  in  his  arms  a  scarcely  half- 
grown  live  pig,  which  had  been  hit  by  the  sumpitan.  The 
whole  affair  lasted  barely  ten  minutes. 

At  another  place,  where  we  were  again  waiting  for 


192  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

the  big  prahu,  the  Penyahbongs  amused  themselves  with 
wresthng  in  water  up  to  their  shoulders.  After  some 
dancing  around,  the  fight  would  invariably  finish  by  both 
disappearing  and  after  a  few  seconds  coming  to  view 
again.  This  caused  much  merriment,  especially  to  the 
wrestlers  themselves,  who  laughed  immoderately  when 
reappearing. 

We  entered  the  tributar}'  Bulau,  and  a  couple  of  hours 
later  arrived  at  its  junction  with  Bakkaang,  at  the  source 
of  which  we  expected  to  cross  the  watershed.  The  river, 
which  was  rather  narrow,  would  be  difficult  to  ascend  un- 
less we  had  showers.  Luckily  rain  fell  during  the  night, 
and  although  delayed  by  trees  that  had  fallen  across  the 
stream,  which  was  from  six  to  ten  metres  wide,  we  made 
a  good  day's  work  and  camped  at  an  attractive  old  clear- 
ing of  rattan  gatherers. 

I  spent  the  next  forenoon  in  an  excursion  to  a  place 
within  the  jungle,  where  birds  and  animals  sometimes 
congregate  in  great  numbers  to  obtain  the  salt  water 
which  issues  from  the  earth  or  rocks.  This  masin  (salt 
water)  was  known  to  the  ALilay  rattan  seekers  in  our 
party,  who  had  snared  birds  and  deer  there.  In  the 
dry  season  hundreds  of  birds  of  various  kinds  would 
gather.  By  wading  up  a  small  stream  for  twenty  min- 
utes we  reached  a  place  where  water  exuded  from  a  rock, 
especially  at  its  top,  and  by  following  the  stream  upward 
for  another  twenty  minutes  we  arrived  at  the  larger  one, 
where  the  ooze  from  the  rocks  overflowed  the  ground. 
Only  tracks  were  seen,  but  our  guide  said  that  after 
three  rainless  days  in  succession  birds  and  ;niini;ils  would 


WILD  LIFE  IN  CENTRAL   BORNEO  193 

be  sure  to  come  there.  Myriads  of  yellowish-gray  flies 
covered  the  ground  as  well  as  the  rocks,  and  after  having 
taken  some  specimens  of  algae,  also  some  white  gelatinous 
stuff  with  which  the  Malays  rub  themselves  when  afflicted 
with  beri-beri,  I  returned  to  camp. 

In  spite  of  frequent  light  showers  the  stream  failed  to 
rise  appreciably,  and  our  goods  had  to  be  carried  on  the 
back  of  the  men  to  our  next  camping  place.  The  fol- 
lowing morning  we  started  in  a  heavy  rain  at  which  we 
rejoiced,  because  it  enabled  us  to  use  our  prahus  until  we 
reached  the  foot  of  the  dividing  ridge.  At  noon  we  ar- 
rived in  camp,  with  our  clothing  thoroughly  wet.  What 
the  downpour  might  have  left  intact  the  Penyahbongs, 
forgetting  everything  but  the  safety  of  the  prahus,  had 
done  their  best  to  drench  by  splashing  water  all  the  time. 
Just  as  we  had  made  camp  the  rain  ceased  and  with  it, 
being  near  the  source  of  the  stream,  the  overflow  too 
passed  away.  In  dry  weather  it  would  be  a  tedious  trip 
to  get  up  the  Bakkaang. 

For  two  days  we  were  busy  carrying  our  goods  to  the 
top  of  the  ridge.  Neither  the  Malays  nor  the  Penyah- 
bongs are  very  strong  carriers,  and  they  complained  of 
being  stenga  mati  (half  dead)  from  their  exertions.  On 
the  third  day,  when  the  ascent  was  to  be  finished,  eight 
of  them  complained  of  being  sakit  (sick)  or  played  out, 
and  they  looked  it.  Fortunately  the  Saputan  chief,  who 
a  few  days  previously  had  left  us  to  procure  more  men, 
returned  with  four  companions,  who  came  in  very  op- 
portunely. The  ascent  is  neither  long  nor  difficult,  a 
seldom  used  path  leading  across  the  ridge  at  the  most 


194  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

convenient  place.  The  elevation  above  sea  level,  taken 
April  2,  by  boiling  point  thermometer,  was  425  metres 
(1,394.38  feet),  and  the  ridge  seemed  to  run  t-venly  to 
either  side.  The  space  for  a  camp  was  somewhat 
cramped,  and  the  small  yellow  bees  that  are  so  persistent 
in  clinging  to  one's  face  and  hands  were  very  numerous; 
they  will  sting  if  irritated.  Even  the  lieutenant,  or- 
dinarily impervious  to  that  kind  of  annoyance,  sought  the 
protection  of  his  mosquito  net. 

The  calls  of  argus  pheasant  and  wah-wah  next  morn- 
ing sounded  familiar.  The  north  side  of  the  Bukit, 
or  mountain  (the  name  applied  by  the  natives  to  the 
ridge),  is  steeper  and  rougher  than  the  south  side,  but  the 
descent  presents  no  difficulties.  We  followed  the  small 
river  Brani,  most  of  the  time  wading  it.  The  distance 
to  the  junction  of  the  Brani  with  the  Kasao  River  *  is 
hardly  five  hours'  walking,  but  copious  showers,  which  at 
times  changed  the  river  to  a  torrential  stream,  interfered 
with  the  transportation  of  our  goods,  which  required  five 
days. 

Our  friend,  the  Saputan  chief,  had  materially  assisted 
us,  and  he  was  desired  to  walk  down  to  his  kampong — 
by  boat  only  an  hour's  journey  on  the  swift  current — and 
bring  men  and  prahus  to  take  us  away.  He  was  very 
willing  and  exceedingly  efficient,  but  he  was  also,  in  his 
childish  way,  intent  on  making  as  much  out  of  us  as 
possible.  He  wanted  to  bring  too  many  prahus  and 
men,  for  all  the  male  population  of  the  kampong  were 
anxious  to  get  this  job,  he  said.      1  iniidi'  hiin  a  fair  offer, 

*  Kasao  is  the  Malay  name.     The  Saputans  call  the  river  Katju. 


SAPUTAN.  ON  HIS  WAY  TO  THE  LADANG  (FIELDS)  AND  FOR  THE  HUNT  OF 
BABI.     DATA  LAONG 


ARRIVAL  AT   DATA  LAONG  195 

and  three  times  he  came  to  tell  me  that  he  still  had  to 
think  over  it.  Finally,  after  three  hours'  deliberation, 
he  accepted  my  proposition — provided  I  would  pay  for 
two  days  instead  of  one !  In  order  to  get  action,  and 
considering  all  the  days  they  voluntarily  had  waited  for 
us  at  the  ridge,  I  acceded  to  this  amendment  and  he  went 
away  happy. 

The  men  and  the  prahus  came  promptly  and  we  be- 
gan loading;  I  was  glad  at  the  prospect  of  getting  away 
from  the  low-lying  country,  where  we  had  our  camp 
among  bamboo  trees,  with  the  chance  of  being  flooded 
should  the  river  rise  too  high.  As  we  were  standing  near 
my  tent,  getting  ready  to  take  it  down,  a  plandok  (mouse- 
deer,  tragulus)  came  along — among  the  Saputans,  and 
probably  most  Dayaks,  reputed  to  be  the  wisest  and  most 
cunning  of  all  animals,  and  in  folklore  playing  the  part 
of  our  fox.  It  was  conspicuously  pregnant  and  passed 
unconcernedly  just  back  of  the  tent.  As  the  flesh  is  a 
favourite  food  of  both  Dayaks  and  Malays  they  imme- 
diately gave  chase,  shouting  and  trying  to  surround  it, 
which  made  the  plandok  turn  back;  then  the  wonder- 
fully agile  Saputan  chief  darted  after  it  and  actually 
caught  it  alive.  Extraordinary  agility  is  characteristic 
of  most  Dayaks.  An  army  officer  in  his  report  of  the 
Katingans  describes  how  a  Dayak  "suddenly  jumped 
overboard,  drew  his  parang,  and  with  one  stroke  cut  a 
fish  through  the  middle.  Before  we  knew  what  had 
happened  the  material  for  our  supper  was  on  board." 

After  a  pleasant  drifting  down  the  current  of  the 
Kasao  River,  about  noon  on  April  7  we  arrived  at  Data 


196  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

Laong,  a  Saputan  kampong  consisting  of  three  small 
communal  houses.  On  the  river  bank  a  small  space  had 
been  cleared  of  grass  for  my  tent.  The  people  seemed 
very  amenable  to  my  purposes  and  there  was  a  primitive 
atmosphere  at  the  place.  We  had  used  seventeen  days 
from  Tamaloe,  much  in  excess  of  the  time  calculated,  but 
under  unfavourable  circumstances  we  might  easily  have 
used  double.  There  was  reason  to  be  satisfied  at  arriving 
here  safely  without  having  incurred  any  losses.  We 
could  look  forward  with  confidence  to  the  remainder  of 
the  journey,  mainly  down  the  great  Mahakam  River, 
toward  distant  Samarinda,  because  the  Dayaks  along  the 
route  were  very  numerous  and  had  plenty  of  prahus. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  SAPUTANS — HOW  THE  EARS  OF  THE  CHIEF  WERE 
PIERCED — ^AN  UNEXPECTED  ATTACK  OF  FILARIASIS — 
DEPARTURE  FROM  THE  SAPUTANS — DOWN  THE  KASAO 
RIVER — "tobogganing"  THE  KIHAMS 

The  Penyahbongs,  men  of  the  jungle,  who  left  us  to 
return  home,  had  not  proved  such  good  workers  as  the 
Saputans,  who,  though  in  a  pronounced  degree  smaller, 
mostly  below  medium  size,  are  very  strongly  built.  The 
first  named,  nevertheless,  are  their  superiors  both  physi- 
cally and  morally.  The  more  homely-looking  Saputans, 
though  friendly  and  willing  to  assist  you,  try  to  gain  an 
advantage  in  bargaining.  They  set  high  prices  on  all 
things  purchased  from  them  and  cheat  if  permitted  to 
do  so.  Although  no  case  of  actual  stealing  came  to  my 
notice,  they  are  dishonest,  untruthful,  and  less  intelli- 
gent than  the  tribes  hitherto  met.  The  chiefs  from  two 
neighbouring  kampongs  paid  us  visits,  and  they  and 
their  men  made  a  somewhat  better  impression,  besides 
having  less  skin  disease. 

The  Saputans  are  a  crude  and  somewhat  coarse  peo- 
ple who  formerly  lived  in  caves  in  the  mountains  further 
east,  between  the  Mahakam  and  the  Murung  (Barito) 
Rivers,  and  migrated  here  less  than  a  hundred  years 
ago.     Lidju,  a  Long-Glat  raja  from  Batokelau,  who  at 

one  time  was  my  interpreter  and  assistant,  told  me  that 

197 


198  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

the  Saputans  had  iikuIc  a  contract  with  his  grandfather 
to  take  thcin  to  the  Kasao.  This  report  was  confirmed 
by  the  kapahi  of  Batokelau.  The  Saputans  probably 
do  not  number  over  500  all  told. 

The  custom  of  cutting  the  teeth,  eight  in  upper  front 
and  six  in  the  lower  jaw,  is  observed  to  some  extent,  but 
is  not  regularly  practised.  Both  sexes  have  shrill,  sharp 
voices.  The  men  admire  women  who  have  long  hair, 
light  yellow  skin,  and  long  extension  of  the  ear-lobes 
The  women  like  men  to  be  strong  and  brave  on  head- 
hunting expeditions.  Suicide  is  very  rare.  They  may 
use  ipoh  or  tuba  for  the  purpose.  All  animals  are  eaten 
without  restriction.  The  men  are  good  hunters  and  know 
how  to  kill  the  tiger-cat  with  sumpitan  or  spear.  They 
also  make  good,  large  mats  from  split  rattan,  which  are 
spread  on  the  floor,  partly  covering  it.  The  women  make 
mats  from  palm  leaves,  and  when  the  Saputans  are  pre- 
paring for  the  night's  rest  the  latter  kind  is  unrolled  over 
the  rattan  variety.  Formerly  sumpitans  were  made  in 
sufficient  number,  but  the  art  of  the  blacksmith  has  al- 
most died  out,  only  one  remaining  at  the  present  time,  and 
most  of  the  sumpitans  are  bought  from  the  Bukats  on 
the  Mahakam  River. 

There  appear  to  be  more  men  than  women  in  the 
tribe.  Children  are  wanted,  and  though  the  usual  num- 
ber in  a  family  is  four,  sometimes  there  is  only  one. 
There  are  no  restrictions  in  diet  for  a  pregnant  woman 
beyond  the  prohibition  of  eating  of  other  people's  food. 

Only  when  the  chief  has  a  wedding  is  there  any  festival, 
which   consists   in   eating.     There   is   no   marriage  cere- 


AMONG  THE  SAPUTANS  199 

mony,  but  having  secured  the  girl's  consent  and  paid  her 
father  and  mother  the  young  man  simply  goes  to  her 
mat.  They  then  remain  two  days  in  the  house,  because 
they  are  afraid  of  the  omen  birds.  On  the  third  day  both 
go  to  fetch  water  from  the  river  and  she  begins  to  husk 
rice.  Monogamy  is  practised,  only  the  chief  being  al- 
lowed to  have  five  or  more  wives.  The  very  enter- 
prising kapala  of  Data  Laong,  to  the  displeasure  of  his 
first  wife,  recently  had  acquired  a  second,  the  daughter 
of  a  Penihing  chief.  While  the  payment  of  a  parang  may 
be  sufficient  to  secure  a  wife  from  among  the  kampong 
people,  a  chief's  daughter  is  worth  ten  gongs,  and  in  order 
to  raise  the  money  necessary  to  obtain  the  gongs  he  set 
all  the  men  of  the  kampong  to  work,  gathering  rattan,  for 
one  month.  Though  each  of  them  received  something 
for  his  labour,  it  was  less  than  one-fourth  of  the  amount 
accruing  from  the  sale  of  the  product,  leaving  him  suf- 
ficient to  pay  the  price  demanded  for  the  new  bride.  In 
Long  Iram  a  gong  may  be  bought  for  f.  30-80,  and  for 
purposes  of  comparison  the  fact  is  mentioned  that  a 
Malay  usually  is  required  to  pay  f.  60  to  the  girl's  father 
to  insure  his  consent  to  the  marriage. 

April  was  rainy,  with  frequent  showers  day  and  night, 
and  thunder  was  heard  every  evening.  Life  there  was  the 
same  as  in  most  Dayak  kampongs,  nearly  all  the  people 
being  absent  during  the  day  at  the  ladangs,  and  in  the 
evening  they  bring  home  the  roots  of  the  calladium,  or 
other  edible  roots  and  plants,  which  are  cooked  for  food. 
The  paddi  had  been  harvested,  but  the  crop  was  poor, 
and  therefore  they  had  made  no  feast.    There  is  no  danc- 


200  THROLGll   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

ing  here  except  war  dances.  For  a  generation  they  have 
been  gathering  rubber,  taking  it  far  down  the  Mahakam 
to  be  sold.  Of  hue  years  rubber  has  nearly  disapp^eared 
in  these  parts,  so  they  have  turned  their  attention  to 
rattan. 

One  day  a  man  was  seen  running  with  a  sumpitan 
after  a  dog  that  had  hydrophobia,  and  which  repeatedly 
passed  my  tent.  The  apparent  attempt  to  kill  the  animal 
was  not  genuine.  lie  was  vainly  trying  to  catch  it  that 
he  might  tie  its  legs  and  throw  it  into  the  river,  because 
the  people  believe  that  the  shedding  of  a  dog's  blood 
would  surely  result  in  misfortune  to  their  health  or  crops. 
After  three  days  the  dog  disappeared. 

In  Data  Laong  few  were  those  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren who  had  not  some  form  of  the  skin  diseases  usual 
among  the  Dayaks,  which  were  rendered  still  more  re- 
pugnant by  their  habit  of  scratching  until  the  skin  bleeds. 
A  man  and  wife  whose  skin  looked  dry  and  dead,  the  whole 
body  exhibiting  a  whitish  colour,  one  day  came  to  my 
tent.  Standing,  or  crouching,  before  the  tent  opening 
they  formed  a  most  offensive  picture,  vigorously  scratch- 
ing themselves,  while  particles  of  dead  skin  dropped  in 
such  quantity  that  after  some  minutes  the  ground  actu- 
ally showed  an  accumulation  resembling  snow.  They 
were  accompanied  by  a  twelve-year-old  daughter  who, 
strange  to  say,  had  a  perfectly  clean  skin. 

The  belief  about  disease  and  its  cure  is  identical  with 
that  of  other  tribes  I  have  met.  The  evil  antohs  are 
believed  to  be  very  numerous  in  the  mountainous  region 
at  the   headwaters   of   the    Kasao    River,   from   whence 


OPERATION  OF  EAR-PIERCING  201 

they  visit  the  kampongs,  though  only  the  blians  are  able 
to  see  them.  The  dead  person  is  given  new  garments 
and  the  body  is  placed  in  a  wooden  box  made  of  boards 
tied  together,  which  is  carried  to  a  cave  in  the  mountains, 
three  days'  travel  from  Data  Laong.  There  are  many 
caves  on  the  steep  mountain-side  and  each  kampong  has 
its  own. 

The  Saputans  were  shy  about  being  photographed, 
but  their  objections  could  be  overcome  by  payments  of 
coin.  The  kapala,  always  alive  to  the  value  of  money, 
set  the  example  by  consenting  to  pose  with  his  family  for 
a  consideration  of  one  florin  to  each.  But  the  risks  in- 
curred, of  the  usual  kinds  hitherto  described,  were  be- 
lieved to  be  so  great  that  even  the  sum  of  ten  florins  was 
asked  as  reward  in  the  case  of  a  single  man.  A  prominent 
man  from  another  kampong  was  preparing  to  make  holes 
through  the  ears  of  the  kapala,  and  for  a  compensation 
I  was  permitted  to  photograph  the  operation,  which  is 
an  important  one.  It  is  the  privilege  of  chiefs  and  men 
who  have  taken  heads  to  wear  a  tiger-cat's  corner  tooth 
inserted  in  a  hole  in  the  upper  part  of  each  ear.  The 
operation  must  not  be  performed  when  the  man  in  ques- 
tion has  a  small  child. 

Surrounded  by  four  men,  the  kapala  seated  himself  on 
the  stump  of  a  tree.  The  hair  was  first  cut  away  above 
the  ears,  a  long  board  was  placed  upright  behind  and 
against  his  right  ear,  and  the  operator  adjusted  his  tool — 
an  empty  rifle  cartridge  of  small  calibre,  which  was  en- 
cased in  the  end  of  a  small  piece  of  wood.  After  having 
carefully  ascertained  that  all  was  in  order  he  struck  the 


202  THROLGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

tool,  using  a  loose  axe-head  with  sure  hand,  two  or  three 
times.  The  supporting  board  was  removed  and  a  bam- 
boo cyHnder  of  exactly  the  same  size  as  the  empty  car- 
tridge, which  was  held  in  readiness,  was  immediately  put 
into  the  hole.  The  round  piece  of  cartilage  which  had 
been  cut  out  was  taken  care  of,  lest  it  be  eaten  by  a 
dog  and  cause  illness.  Blood  streamed  profusely  from 
the  ear,  and,  strange  to  tell,  the  robust  man  looked  as  if 
he  were  going  to  faint.  The  four  assistants  closed  round 
him,  stroking  his  arms,  and  he  attempted  to  rise,  but  had 
to  resume  his  seat. 

Usually  nothing  untoward  happens  at  such  operations, 
but  in  this  case  an  evil  antoh  had  taken  possession  of 
the  kapala  and  was  eating  blood  from  the  wound.  The 
principal  blian  was  hastily  sent  for,  and  arriving  promptly, 
proceeded  to  relieve  the  suffering  kapala.  He  clapped  his 
hands  over  the  ear,  and,  withdrawing,  opened  them  twice 
in  quick  succession,  then,  after  a  similar  third  effort,  a 
fair-sized  stone  (less  than  a  centimetre  in  diameter)  was 
produced  and  thrown  into  the  river.  Slight  rain  began 
to  fall,  and  the  scene  was  brought  to  a  dramatic  conclu- 
sion by  the  exhausted  chief  being  ignominiously  carried 
away  on  the  back  of  a  strong  young  man.  At  the  house 
another  stone  was  produced  by  the  same  sleight-of-hand, 
but  more  strenuous  measures  had  to  be  adopted  in  order 
to  remedy  the  uncanny  incident. 

A  pig  was  brought  uj)  into  the  room,  where  blood  from 
its  throat  was  collected.  Part  of  it  was  smeared  on  the 
kapala,  and  part  was  mixed  with  uncooked  rice  as  a 
sacrifice    to   some   good    antoh,  who  is  called    upon   to 


gl 


SAPUTAXS  POLING.     DATA  LAoNO 
From  a  kineoutograpb  film 


''4'      '    » 


^m:^ 


PIERONG  THE  EARS  OF  THE  'iAPl  TAN  THIEF  IN  OKI'KK    \M  INSERT  A  TK.EK  CAT'S 

CORNER  TEETH      PATA  I.AONG 

Frofn  a  kinrtnatoKraph  (ilm 


AN  ATTACK  OF   FILARIASIS  203 

drive  the  evil  one  away.  Outside  on  the  river  bank  four 
stalks  of  bamboo,  which  had  branches  and  leaves  at 
the  top,  were  placed  in  a  slanting  position.  From  the 
stems  of  these  were  hung  two  diminutive  bamboo  re- 
ceptacles made  in  the  form  of  square,  stiff  mats,  on  which 
was  placed  the  mixture  of  rice  and  blood  for  the  antoh 
to  eat.  Also  suspended  were  two  short  pieces  of  bamboo 
cut  open  lengthwise  so  as  to  form  two  small  troughs,  into 
which  a  little  blood  was  poured  for  the  same  supernatural 
power  to  drink. 

When  all  this  had  been  made  ready  the  old  blian,  ac- 
companied by  two  young  pupils,  took  position  before  the 
sacrifice.  For  about  ten  minutes  he  spoke,  with  his  face 
to  the  south,  requesting  a  good  antoh  to  come  and  the 
evil  one  to  depart,  after  which  he,  the  young  men,  and  the 
kapala,  who  stood  near,  all  repeatedly  threw  up  rice  in  a 
southerly  direction.  This  was  done  in  expectation  that 
the  good  antoh,  having  eaten  of  the  sacrifice,  would  feel 
disposed  to  drive  the  bad  one  away. 

In  the  middle  of  April  I  was  seized  with  an  attack  of 
filariasis,  a  disorder  caused  by  the  sting  of  a  certain  kind 
of  mosquito.  During  the  day  I  had  felt  pain  in  the  glands 
of  the  loins,  which  were  swollen,  without  giving  the  mat- 
ter any  particular  attention.  As  I  am  not  in  the  habit 
of  being  ill,  in  fact,  so  far  had  prided  myself  on  growing 
younger  each  year,  this  experience  of  suddenly  becoming 
very  weak  and  miserable  was  most  unexpected.  Vomit- 
ing set  in,  so  I  went  immediately  to  bed,  and  slept  soundly 
during  the  night  and  also  most  of  the  next  day,  when  I 
found  myself  with  an  extremely  high  fever,  much  more 


204  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

severe  than  that  which  accompanies  malaria,  a  pernicious 
form  of  which  I  once  passed  through  on  the  west  coast  of 
Mexico.  Until  many  months  aftenvard  I  did  not  know 
the  nature  of  my  disorder,  but  resorted  to  the  simple 
remedy  always  available — to  stop  eating,  as  Japanese 
soldiers  are  reported  to  do  when  wounded.  On  the  fourth 
day  the  fever  abated,  after  which  improvement  was 
rapid.  Two  days  later  my  general  condition  was  fair,  al- 
though the  lower  part  of  the  right  leg,  especially  about  the 
ankle,  was  red  and  swollen.  I  soon  felt  completely  re- 
stored in  spite  of  the  fact  that  a  painless  swelling  of  the 
ankle  remained. 

Two  months  later  I  had  another  attack,  as  sudden  and 
unexpected  as  the  first.  This  was  ushered  in  by  a  chill 
exactly  like  that  preceding  malaria,  but  the  fever  that 
followed  was  less  severe  than  on  the  former  occasion,  and 
in  a  few  days  I  was  well  again. 

More  than  a  year  afterward  hypodermic  injections  of 
sodium  cacodylate  were  attempted  with  apparent  success, 
though  the  swellings  continued.  Many  months  later  an 
improvement  in  the  condition  of  the  leg  was  gradually 
brought  about,  to  which  perhaps  a  liberal  consumption  of 
oranges  separate  from  meals,  largely  contributed.  This 
affection  is  not  common  in  Borneo.  A  native  authority 
in  Kasungan,  on  the  Katingan  River  in  South  Borneo, 
himself  a  Kahayan,  told  me  of  a  remedy  by  which  he  and 
eight  other  natives  had  been  completely  cured.  It  is  a 
diffusion  from  three  kinds  of  plants,  applied  externally, 
samples  of  which  I  took. 

On  the  last  day  of  April  we  were  able  to  continue  our 


THROUGH  THE  RAPIDS  205 

journey  down  the  Kasao  River,  in  seven  prahus  with 
twenty-eight  men,  twenty-four  of  whom  were  Penihings, 
who,  with  their  raja,  as  the  chiefs  are  called  on  the  Maha- 
kam,  had  arrived  from  below  by  appointment.  Owing  to 
my  recent  distressing  experience  I  was  not  sorry  to  say 
farewell  to  Data  Laong,  where  the  women  and  children 
were  afraid  of  me  to  the  last,  on  account  of  my  desire  to 
have  them  photographed.  The  Saputans  are  kind,  but 
their  intellect  is  of  a  low  order,  and  the  unusual  prevalence 
of  skin  disease  renders  them  unattractive  though  always 
interesting  subjects. 

A  glorious  morning !  The  river,  running  high  and  of 
a  dirty  yellowish-green  colour,  carried  us  swiftly  with  the 
current  in  the  cool  atmosphere  of  the  morning  mist  which 
the  sun  gradually  cleared  away.  Repeatedly,  though  for 
a  few  moments  only,  an  enchanting  fragrance  was  wafted 
to  me  from  large,  funnel-shaped,  fleshy  white  flowers 
with  violet  longitudinal  stripes  that  covered  one  of  the 
numerous  varieties  of  trees  on  our  way.  Many  blossoms 
had  fallen  into  the  water  and  floated  on  the  current  with 
us.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  have  again  real  Dayak  paddlers, 
which  I  had  not  had  since  my  travels  in  the  Bulungan. 

We  dashed  through  the  tall  waves  of  many  smaller 
rapids  and  suddenly,  while  I  was  having  breakfast,  which 
to  save  time  is  always  taken  in  the  prahus,  I  found  myself 
near  what  appeared  to  be  a  rapidly  declining  kiham.  A 
fathomless  abyss  seemed  yawning  before  us,  although  the 
approach  thereto  was  enticing,  as  the  rushing  waters 
turned  into  white  foam  and  played  in  the  strong  sunlight. 
We  passed  a  timid  prahu  which  was  waiting  at  one  side 


2o6  TIIROIT.il   (TNTRAI.    BORNEO 

of  the  course,  but  had  I  desired  to  do  so  there  was  no  time 
to  stop  my  prahu.  That  miglit  have  meant  calamity,  for 
we  were  already  within  a  few  seconds  of  the  rushing, 
turbulent  waters.  So  down  we  went,  with  a  delightful 
sensation  of  dancing,  falling  water,  strong  sunlight,  and 
the  indescribable  freshness  and  swiftness  of  it  all.  The 
Penihing  at  the  bow  looked  back  at  me  and  nodded  with 
a  satisfied  expression  on  his  countenance,  as  if  to  say: 
"That  was  well  done." 

There  were  kihams  after  kihams  to  be  passed;  at  one 
place  where  the  rapids  were  long,  from  twelve  to  eighteen 
men  helped  to  direct  each  prahu  with  rattan  ropes,  pre- 
venting it  from  g(Mng  where  the  water  was  deep  and  the 
waves  ran  high.  But  my  men,  who  appeared  to  be  skil- 
ful, evidently  decided  not  to  depend  on  the  rattan  but 
steered  deliberately  out  into  the  deep  water;  the  prahu 
began  to  move  swiftly,  and,  tossed  by  the  big  waves,  the 
large  tins  and  boxes  were  shaken  about  and  threatened 
to  fall  overboard.  The  bundle  of  one  of  the  Dayaks 
actually  dropped  into  the  water.  There  were  only  four 
men  in  the  prahu,  and  the  one  at  the  bow,  on  whom  so 
much  depends  for  safety,  seeing  that  it  was  his  bundle, 
immediately  jumped  after  it,  leaving  the  boat  to  its  fate. 
Luckily  there  was  no  reason  for  the  others  to  do  like- 
wise, and  I  escaped  with  drenched  legs  and  a  wet  kodak. 

New  kihams  soon  compelled  us  to  take  out  half  the 
load  and  make  double  trips,  which  proved  slow  and  tedi- 
ous work.  I  sat  on  the  rocks  waiting,  and  arc  luncheon, 
which  consisted  of  one  small  rin  of  macquerel  in  oil,  put  up 
in  France,  very  convenient  for  travelling.     In  front  of  me 


THROUGH  THE   RAPIDS  207 

on  the  other  side  of  the  river  a  lonely  Malay  was  working 
eagerly,  trying  to  float  a  big  bundle  of  rattan  which  had 
lodged  in  the  midst  of  a  waterfall  against  a  large  stone, 
and  which  finally  he  succeeded  in  loosening.  Suddenly  it 
floated,  and  as  suddenly  he  leaped  upon  it,  riding  astride 
it  down  the  foaming  waters. 

The  prospect  for  some  smooth  sailing  now  appeared 
favourable,  but  scarcely  had  I  made  myself  comfortable, 
lying  down  in  my  prahu,  before  I  was  drenched  by  furious 
waves  into  which  we  had  plunged.  We  soon  got  out  of 
them,  however,  and  continued  our  swift  travel  down- 
ward. In  the  distance  most  of  our  prahus  could  be  seen 
in  a  calm  inlet  on  the  other  side,  where  Mr.  Loing  was 
awaiting  our  arrival;  but  my  men  continued  on  their 
course.  In  a  few  seconds  we  entered  the  boiling  waves  of 
the  rapids,  down  which  we  went  at  thrilling  speed.  We 
literally  jumped  a  small  waterfall,  then,  sharply  turning  to 
the  left,  passed  another.  More  than  a  third  of  the  boat 
was  in  the  air  as  we  leaped  over  it.  The  Dayaks  stand  in 
the  prahu  and  every  nerve  is  at  full  tension.  The  man  at 
the  bow  shouts  and  warns.  They  are  daring,  but  manage 
to  avoid  the  hidden  rocks  with  which  the  course  of  the 
river  is  studded,  now  steering  slightly  to  the  left,  now 
more  to  the  right.  Thirty  or  fifty  centimetres  one  way 
or  the  other  may  make  all  the  difference  between  safety 
and  disaster.  Three  men  in  a  small  prahu  which  fol- 
lows immediately  behind,  seeing  that  they  cannot  avoid 
dashing  against  a  rock,  jump  overboard,  pull  the  boat 
out  of  its  course,  and  save  it. 

Ahead  was  another  turn  in  the  river  where  the  third 


2o8  THROUGH   CENTRUM.   RORXEO 

kiham  in  succession  awaited  us,  and  after  some  moments 
of  comparative  quiet  ue  again  dashed  down  into  tur- 
bulent waves,  and  making  a  swift  turn  to  the  right  on  a 
downward  grade  ghded  into  smoother  waters.  The  ex- 
citement was  over  and  the  experience  had  been  as  de- 
lightful as  it  was  unexpected.  It  reminded  one  of  to- 
bogganing in  Nonvay  and  was  great  fun,  although  the 
enjoyment  was  always  mingled  with  feelings  of  anxiety 
concerning  the  cameras  and  instruments. 

The  luggage  was  unloaded  from  the  prahus  which  were 
waiting  at  the  head  of  the  last  rapids,  and  was  carried  on 
the  backs  of  natives  who  after\vard  took  the  empty  boats 
down.  Although  the  men  had  worked  incessantly  for 
nine  hours,  on  the  advice  of  the  chief  it  was  decided  to 
proceed  to  Samariting,  the  first  Penihing  kampong.  Half 
the  goods  was  stored  near  the  beach,  to  be  called  for  the 
following  day,  and  the  now  comfortably  loaded  prahus 
made  ready  for  the  descent  of  the  next  rapids,  which  he 
said  were  risky.  He  therefore  was  going  to  walk  himself 
and  advised  us  to  do  likewise.  Rain  began  to  fall. 
On  the  high  river  bank  I  waited  to  see  them  off.  The  first 
prahu  had  to  return  and  take  another  course;  the  men 
all  seemed  to  be  hesitating.  Finally  it  made  a  fresh  dash 
forward.  Near  the  end  of  the  long  rapids  it  almost 
disappeared  from  view,  appeared  again,  steering  first  to 
right  then  rapidly  to  left  again.  There  was  the  danger- 
ous place,  and  having  in  this  manner  seen  most  of  them 
pass  successfully,  I  walked  on  and  shortly  afterward 
boarded  my  prahu,  which  carried  us  swiftly  down  to 
Samariting. 


DOWN   THE   RAPIDS  209 

The  river  bank  on  which  the  kampong  is  built  is  lower 
than  usual,  and  the  place  is  clean  and  attractive.  All  the 
people  look  strikingly  more  healthy  than  the  Saputans, 
and  I  saw  a  few  very  nice-looking  young  girls.  The  men 
swarmed  round  me  like  bees,  all  wanting  in  a  most  amiable 
way  to  help  put  up  my  tent.  During  the  day  I  had  lost 
the  cover  of  my  red  kettle — annoying  enough  when  it  can- 
not by  any  means  be  replaced — but  even  a  more  serious 
loss  would  have  been  compensated  by  the  delightful  ex- 
perience of  the  day,  which  was  without  other  mishaps. 

Our  goods  having  been  safely  brought  in,  the  next  day 
about  noon  we  started  in  fully  loaded  prahus.  All  went 
well  with  the  exception  of  one  of  the  smaller  boats  which, 
timidly  working  down  along  the  bank,  suddenly  turned 
over  and  subsided  on  a  rock.  The  men  did  their  best  to 
save  the  contents,  the  rapid  current  making  it  impossible 
for  us  to  stop  until  we  were  a  hundred  metres  further 
down,  where  the  Dayaks  made  ready  to  gether  up  boxes 
and  other  articles  that  came  floating  on  the  current.  Noth- 
ing was  lost,  but  everything  got  wet. 


CHAPTER   XX 

ARRIVAL  ON  THE  MAHAKAM  RIVER — AMONG  THE  PENIHINGS 
— LONG  KAI,  A  PLEASANT  PLACE — A  BLIAN's  SHIELD  — 
PUNANS  AND  BUKATS,  SIMPLE-MINDED  NOMADS — EX- 
TREME PENALTY  FOR  UNFAITHFULNESS — LONG  TJEHAN 

A  FEW  minutes  later  we  came  in  sight  of  the  Mahakam 
River.  At  this  point  it  is  only  forty  to  fifty  metres  wide, 
and  the  placid  stream  presented  a  fine  view,  with  sur- 
rounding hills  in  the  distance.  In  the  region  of  the  Upper 
Mahakam  River,  above  the  rapids,  where  we  had  now  ar- 
rived, it  is  estimated  there  are  living  nearly  10,000  Dayaks 
of  various  tribes,  recognised  under  the  general  name 
Bahau,  which  they  also  employ  themselves,  besides  their 
tribal  names. 

The  first  European  to  enter  the  Mahakam  district 
was  the  Dutch  ethnologist.  Doctor  A.  W.  Nieuwenhuis, 
at  the  end  of  the  last  century.  He  came  from  the  West, 
and  in  addition  to  scientific  research  his  mission  was 
political,  seeking  by  peaceful  means  to  win  the  natives 
to  Dutch  allegiance.  In  this  he  succeeded,  though  not 
without  difficulty  and  danger.  Although  he  was  con- 
siderate and  generous,  the  Penihing  chief  Blarey,  appre- 
hensive of  coming  evil,  twice  tried  to  kill  him,  a  fact  of 
which  the  doctor  probably  was  not  aware  at  the  time. 
Kwing  Iran,  the  extraordinary  Kayan  chief,  knew  of  it 
and  evidently  prevented  the  plan  from  being  executed. 
Blarey   did   not   like  to  have   Europeans  come  to  that 

3IO 


ARRIVAL  ON  THE  MAHAKAM   RIVER       211 

country,  which  belonged  to  the  natives,  as  he  expressed 
it. 

The  Penihing  kampong,  Sungei  Lobang,  was  soon 
reached.  It  is  newly  made,  in  accordance  with  the  habit 
of  the  Dayaks  to  change  the  location  of  their  villages 
every  fourteen  or  fifteen  years,  and  lies  on  a  high  bank,  or 
rather  a  mud-ridge,  which  falls  steeply  down  on  all  sides. 
It  was  the  residence  of  the  chief  and  the  Penihings  who 
brought  us  here,  and  if  conditions  proved  favourable  I 
was  prepared  to  make  a  stay  of  several  weeks  in  this 
populous  kampong,  which  consists  of  several  long,  well- 
constructed  buildings.  The  Dayaks  assisted  in  putting 
up  my  tent,  and  of  their  own  accord  made  a  low  palisade 
of  bamboo  sticks  all  around  it  as  protection  against  the 
roaming  pigs  and  dogs  of  the  place.  It  proved  of  ex- 
cellent service,  also  keeping  away  the  obnoxious  fowls, 
and  during  the  remainder  of  my  travels  this  measure  of 
security,  which  I  adopted,  added  considerably  to  my  com- 
fort. On  receiving  their  payment  in  the  evening  the 
Dayaks  went  away  in  bad  humour  because  they  had  ex- 
pected that  such  a  tuan  besar  as  I  was  would  give  them 
more  than  the  usual  wages  allowed  when  serving  the 
Company,  as  the  government  is  called.  This  tuan, 
they  said,  had  plenty  of  money  to  boang  (throw)  away, 
and  he  had  also  a  good  heart. 

Otherwise,  however,  these  natives  were  kindly  dis- 
posed and  more  attractive  than  either  of  the  two  tribes 
last  visited.  In  husking  rice  the  Penyahbongs,  Saputans, 
and  Penihings  have  the  same  method  of  gathering  the 
grains  back  again  under  the  pestle  with  the  hands  in- 


212 


THROUGH   CENTRAL   HORNEO 


stead  of  with  the  feet,  as  is  the  custom  of  the  Kenyahs  and 
Kayans.  All  day  there  were  brought  for  sale  objects 
of  ethnography,  also  beetles,  animals,  and  birds.  Two 
attractive  young  girls  sold  me  their  primitive  necklaces, 
consisting  of  small  pieces  of  the  stalks  of  different  plants, 
some  of  them  odoriferous,  threaded  on  a  string.  One 
girl  insisted  that  I  put  hers  on  and  wear  it,  the  idea  that 
it  might  serve  any  purpose  other  than  to  adorn  the  neck 
never  occurring  to  them.  Two  men  arrived  from  No- 
hacilat,  a  neighbouring  kampong,  to  sell  two  pieces  of 
aboriginal  wearing  apparel,  a  tunic  and  a  skirt.  Such 
articles  are  very  plentiful  down  there,  they  said,  and  of- 
fered them  at  an  astonishingly  reasonable  price. 

Malay  is  not  spoken  here,  and  we  got  on  as  best  we 
could — nevertheless  the  want  of  an  interpreter  was  seri- 
ously felt.  The  chief  himself  spoke  some  and  might  have 
served  fairly  well,  but  he  studiously  remained  away  from 
me,  and  even  took  most  of  the  men  from  the  kampong  to 
make  prahus  at  another  place.  I  was  told  that  he  was 
afraid  of  me,  and  certainly  his  behaviour  was  puzzling. 
Three  months  later  I  was  enlightened  on  this  point  by 
the  information  that  he  had  been  arrested  on  account  of 
the  murder  by  spear  of  a  woman  and  two  men,  a  most 
unusual  occurrence  among  Dayaks,  who,  as  a  rule,  never 
kill  any  one  in  their  own  tribe.  With  the  kampong  well- 
nigh  deserted,  it  soon  became  evident  that  nothing  was 
to  be  gained  by  remaining  and  that  I  would  better  change 
the  scene  of  my  activities  to  Long  Kai,  another  Penihing 
kampong  further  down  the  river. 

A  small  garrison  had  been  established  there,  and  by 


i.  .i   '.LA  1)1    l.i)\»,   KAl   AM>   ill-  I  llll.l»ki..N 


ARRIVAL  ON  THE   MAHAKAM   RIVER       213 

sending  a  message  we  secured  prahus  and  men,  which 
enabled  us  to  depart  from  our  present  encampment. 
There  were  some  rapids  to  pass  in  which  our  collector  of 
animals  and  birds  nearly  had  his  prahu  swamped,  and 
although  it  was  filled  with  water,  owing  to  his  pluck 
nothing  was  lost.  At  Long  Kai  the  lieutenant  and  Mr. 
Loing  put  up  a  long  shed  of  tent  material,  while  I  placed 
my  tent  near  friendly  trees,  at  the  end  of  a  broad  piece  of 
road  on  the  river  bank,  far  enough  from  the  kampong  to 
avoid  its  noises  and  near  enough  to  the  river  to  enjoy  its 
pleasant  murmur. 

When  going  to  their  ladangs  in  the  morning  the 
Dayaks  passed  my  tent,  thence  following  the  tiny  affluent, 
Kai,  from  which  the  kampong  received  its  name.  Under 
the  trees  I  often  had  interviews  with  the  Penihings,  and 
also  with  the  nomadic  Bukats  and  Punans  who  had 
formed  settlements  in  the  neighbouring  country.  Some 
of  them  came  of  their  own  accord,  others  were  called  by 
Tingang,  the  kapala  of  Long  Kai,  who  did  good  service 
as  interpreter,  speaking  Malay  fairly  well.  From  my 
tent  I  had  a  beautiful  view  of  the  river  flowing  between 
wooded  hills,  and  the  air  was  often  laden  with  the  same 
delicious  fragrance  from  the  bloom  of  a  species  of  trees 
which  I  had  observed  on  the  Kasao  River.  Here,  how- 
ever, the  odour  lasted  hours  at  a  time,  especially  morning 
and  evening.  On  the  hills  of  the  locality  grow  many  sago 
palms,  to  which  the  natives  resort  in  case  rice  is  scarce. 

It  was  quite  agreeable  to  see  a  flag  again,  the  symbol 
of  the  Dutch  nation  being  hoisted  every  day  on  the 
hill  where  the  military  encampment  was  located,  usually 


214  THROrCH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

called  benting  (fortress).  Even  the  striking  of  a  hell 
every  half-hour  seemed  acceptahle  as  a  reminder  of  civ- 
ilisation. The  soldiers  were  natives,  mostly  Javanese. 
The  lieutenant,  Th.  F.  J.  Metsers,  was  an  amiable  and 
courteous  man  who  loaned  me  Dutch  newspapers,  which, 
though  naturally  months  out  of  date,  nevertheless  were 
much  appreciated.  We  were  about  i°  north  of  equator 
and  usually  had  beautiful,  clear  nights  in  the  month  of 
May.  The  Great  Bear  of  the  northern  hemisphere  was 
visible  above  the  horizon  and  the  planet  Venus  looked 
large  and  impressive.  There  were  no  mosquitoes  and 
the  air  was  fine,  but  at  times  the  heat  of  the  day  was 
considerable,  especially  before  showers.  After  two  days 
of  very  warm  weather  without  rain  ominous  dark  clouds 
gathered  in  the  west,  and  half  an  hour  later  we  were  in  the 
thick  of  a  downpour  and  mist  which  looked  as  if  it  might 
continue  for  days.  But  in  inland  Borneo  one  knows  a 
rainstorm  will  soon  belong  to  the  past.  Two  hours  later 
the  storm  abated  and  before  sunset  all  was  over,  and  the 
night  came  again  clear  and  glorious. 

One  afternoon  seven  prahus  with  thirty-odd  Dayaks 
were  seen  to  arrive  from  down  the  river,  pohng  their 
way.  They  were  Kayans  from  Long  Blu,  en  route  for 
the  Upper  Kasao  to  gather  rattan.  Some  of  them  called 
on  me  and  evidently  already  knew  of  the  expedition. 
They  carried  only  rice  as  provisions  and  told  me  they 
intended  to  be  away  three  months.  On  the  Upper 
Kasao  there  is  no  more  rubber  to  he  found,  and,  accord- 
ing to  them,  on  the  upper  part  of  Mahakam  there  is  no 
more  rattan. 


ARRIVAL  ON  THE  MAHAKAM   RIVER       215 

The  Penihings  of  Long  Kai  are  good-natured  and 
pleasant,  and  it  was  refreshing  to  be  among  real,  natural 
people  to  whom  it  never  occurs  that  nudity  is  cause  for 
shame;  whom  the  teaching  of  the  Mohammedan  Malays, 
of  covering  the  upper  body,  has  not  yet  reached.  This 
unconsciousness  of  evil  made  even  the  old,  hard-working 
women  attractive.  They  were  eager  to  sell  me  their 
wares  and  implements,  and  hardly  left  me  time  to  eat. 
Their  houses  had  good  galleries  and  were  more  spacious 
than  one  would  suppose  from  a  casual  glance. 

One  morning  I  entered  the  rooms  of  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal blians,  from  whom  I  wanted  to  buy  his  shield,  used 
as  a  musical  instrument  to  accompany  his  song.  The 
shield  looks  like  the  ordinary  variety  used  by  all  the 
tribes  of  the  Mahakam  and  also  in  Southern  Borneo, 
but  has  from  four  to  ten  rattan  strings  tied  lengthwise 
on  the  back.  In  singing  to  call  good  spirits,  antohs,  es- 
pecially in  case  somebody  is  ill,  he  constantly  beats  with 
a  stick  on  one  of  the  strings  in  a  monotonous  way  without 
any  change  of  time.  Among  the  Penihings  this  shield 
is  specially  made  for  the  blian's  use,  and  unless  it  be  new 
and  unused  he  will  not  sell  it,  because  the  blood  of 
sacrificial  animals  has  been  smeared  on  its  surface  and 
the  patient  would  die.  The  only  way  I  could  secure  one 
was  by  having  it  made  for  me,  which  a  blian  is  quite  will- 
ing to  do. 

This  man  paid  little  attention  to  my  suggestion  of 
buying,  but  suddenly,  of  his  own  accord,  he  seized  the 
shield  and  played  on  it  to  show  me  how  it  was  done. 
While  he  sings  he  keeps  his  head  down  behind  the  shield. 


2i6  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

which  Is  held  in  upright  position,  and  he  strikes  either 
with  right  or  left  hand.  He  had  scarcely  performed  a 
minute  when  a  change  came  over  him.  He  stamped  one 
foot  violently  upon  the  floor,  ceased  playing,  and  seemed 
to  be  in  a  kind  of  trance,  but  recovered  himself  quickly. 
A  good  antoh,  one  of  several  who  possessed  him,  had  re- 
turned to  him  after  an  absence  and  had  entered  through 
the  top  of  his  head.  So  strong  is  the  force  of  auto-sug- 
gestion. 

It  was  a  matter  of  considerable  interest  to  me  to  meet 
here  representatives  of  two  nomadic  tribes  of  Borneo 
who  had  formed  small  settlements  in  this  remote  region. 
I  had  already  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  Punans  in 
the  Bulungan,  but  as  they  are  very  shy  I  welcomed  the 
opportunity  of  meeting  them  on  more  familiar  terms. 
For  more  than  a  generation  a  small  number  has  been 
settled  at  Serrata,  six  hours  walking  distance  from  Long 
Kai.  The  other  nomads,  called  Bukats,  from  the  moun- 
tains around  the  headwaters  of  the  Mahakam,  have  lately 
established  themselves  on  the  river  a  short  distance  above 
its  junction  with  the  Kasao;  a  few  also  live  in  the  Peni- 
hing  kampong  Nuncilao.  These  recent  converts  from 
nomadic  life  still  raise  little  paddi,  depending  mostly 
upon  sago.  Through  the  good  offices  of  the  Long  Kai 
kapala  people  of  both  tribes  were  sent  for  and  promptly 
answered  the  call.  The  Punan  visitors  had  a  kapala  who 
also  was  a  blian,  and  they  had  a  female  blian  too,  as 
had  the  Bukats. 

The  Punans  are  simple-minded,  shy,  and  retiring  peo- 
ple, and  the  other  nomads  even  more  so.    The  first-named 


THE  PUNANS  AND  BUKATS  217 

are  more  attractive  on  account  of  their  superior  physique, 
their  candid  manners,  and  somewhat  higher  intellect. 
The  natural  food  of  both  peoples  is  serpents,  lizards, 
and  all  kinds  of  animals  and  birds,  the  crocodile  and  omen 
birds  excepted.  With  the  Bukats,  rusa  must  not  be 
eaten  unless  one  has  a  child,  but  with  the  Punans  it  is  per- 
missible in  any  case.  The  meat  of  pig  is  often  eaten 
when  ten  days  old,  and  is  preferred  to  that  which  is  fresh. 
In  this  they  share  the  taste  of  the  Dayak  tribes  I  have 
met,  with  the  exception  of  the  Long-Glats.  I  have  known 
the  odour  from  putrefying  pork  to  be  quite  overpowering 
in  a  kampong,  and  still  this  meat  is  eaten  without  any 
ill  effect.  Salt  is  not  used  unless  introduced  by  Malay 
traders.  And  evidently  it  was  formerly  not  known  to 
the  Dayaks. 

None  of  these  jungle  people  steal  and  they  do  not 
lie,  although  children  may  do  either.  They  were  much 
afraid  of  being  photographed  and  most  of  the  Bukats 
declined.  A  Bukat  woman  had  tears  in  her  eyes  as  she 
stepped  forward  to  be  measured,  but  smiled  happily 
when  receiving  her  rewards  of  salt,  tobacco,  and  a  red 
handkerchief.  It  had  been  worth  while  to  submit  to 
the  strange  ways  of  the  foreigner. 

Both  tribes  are  strictly  monogamous  and  distinguished 
by  the  severe  view  they  take  of  adultery,  which,  however, 
seldom  occurs.  While  it  is  regarded  as  absolutely  no  det- 
riment to  a  young  girl  to  sleep  with  a  young  man,  mat- 
rimonial unfaithfulness  is  relentlessly  punished.  Pay- 
ment of  damages  is  impossible.  The  injured  Punan 
husband  cuts  the  head  from  both  wife  and  corespondent 


2i8  TIIROrCII   CENTRAL    HORNEO 

and  retires  to  solitude,  remaining  away  for  a  long  time, 
up  to  two  years.  If  the  husband  fails  to  punish,  then 
the  woman's  brother  must  perform  the  duty  of  execu- 
tioner. The  Bukats  are  even  more  severe.  The  hus- 
band of  an  erring  wife  must  kill  her  by  cutting  off  her 
head,  and  it  is  incumbent  on  her  brother  to  take  the 
head  of  the  husband.  At  present  the  Punans  and  Bukats 
are  relinquishing  these  customs  through  fear  of  the 
Company. 

The  Bukats  told  me  that  they  originally  came  from 
the  river  Blatei  in  Sarawak,  and  that  Iban  raids  had  had 
much  to  do  with  their  movements.  According  to  their 
reports  the  tribe  had  recently,  at  the  invitation  of  the 
government,  left  the  mountains  and  formed  several  kam- 
pongs  in  the  western  division.  One  of  them,  with  short 
stubby  fingers,  had  a  broad  Mongolian  face  and  promi- 
nent cheek-bones,  but  not  Mongolian  eyes,  reminding  me 
somewhat  of  a  Laplander. 

The  Punans  and  the  Bukats  have  not  yet  learned  to 
make  prahus,  but  they  are  experts  in  the  manufacture 
of  sumpitans.  They  are  also  clever  at  mat-making,  the 
men  bringing  the  rattan  and  the  women  making  the  mats. 
Cutting  of  the  teeth  is  optional.  The  gall  of  the  bear  is 
used  as  medicine  internally  and  externally.  In  case  of 
fractured  bones  a  crude  bandage  is  made  from  bamboo 
sticks  with  leaves  from  a  certain  tree.  For  curing  disease 
the  Punans  use  strokes  of  the  hand.  Neither  of  these 
nomadic  tribes  allow  a  man  present  when  a  woman  bears 
a  child.     After  child-birth  women  abstain  from  work  four 


THE   PUNANS  AND   BUKATS  219 

days.     When  anybody  dies  the  people  flee,  leaving  the 
corpse  to  its  fate. 

Having  accomplished  as  much  as  circumstances  per- 
mitted, in  the  latter  part  of  May  we  changed  our  encamp- 
ment to  Long  Tjehan,  the  principal  kampong  of  the  Peni- 
hings,  a  little  further  down  the  river.  On  a  favourable 
current  the  transfer  was  quickly  accomplished.  We  were 
received  by  friendly  natives,  who  came  voluntarily  to  as- 
sist in  putting  up  my  tent,  laying  poles  on  the  moist 
ground,  on  which  the  boxes  were  placed  inside.  They  also 
made  a  palisade  around  it  as  they  had  seen  it  done  in  Long 
Kai,  for  the  Dayaks  are  very  adaptable  people.  Several 
men  here  had  been  to  New  Guinea  and  they  expressed 
no  desire  to  return,  because  there  had  been  much  work, 
and  much  beri-beri  from  which  some  of  their  comrades 
had  died.  One  of  them  had  assisted  in  bringing  Doctor 
Lorenz  back  after  his  unfortunate  fall  down  the  ravine  on 
Wilhelmina  Top. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

AN  EXCURSION  DOWN  THE  RIVER — LONG  PAHANGEI — ^THE 
OMA-SULINGS — THE  GREAT  TRIENNIAL  FESTIVAL — 
HOSPITABLE  NATIVES — INCIDENTS  IN  PHOTOGRAPHY 

It  is  significant  as  to  the  relations  of  the  tribes  that 
not  only  Bukats  and  Punans,  but  also  the  Saputans,  are 
invited  to  take  part  in  a  great  triennial  Bahau  festival 
when  given  at  Long  Tjehan.  Shortly  after  our  arrival 
we  were  advised  that  this  great  feast,  which  here  is  called 
tasa  and  which  lasts  ten  days,  was  to  come  off  immedi- 
ately at  an  Oma-Suling  kampong,  Long  Pahangei, 
further  down  the  river. 

Though  a  journey  there  might  be  accomplished  in 
one  day,  down  with  the  current,  three  or  four  times  as 
long  would  be  required  for  the  return.  However,  as 
another  chance  to  see  such  a  festival  probably  would  not 
occur,  I  decided  to  go,  leaving  the  sergeant,  the  soldier 
collector,  and  another  soldier  behind,  and  two  days  later 
we  were  preparing  for  departure  in  three  prahus. 

What  with  making  light  shelters  against  sun  and 
rain,  in  Malay  called  atap,  usually  erected  for  long  jour- 
neys, the  placing  of  split  bamboo  sticks  in  the  bottom  of 
my  prahu,  and  with  the  Penihings  evidently  unaccus- 
tomed to  such  work,  it  was  eight  o'clock  before  the  start 
was  made.     Pani,  a  small  tributary  forming  the  boundary 

between  the  Penihings  and  the  Kayans,  was  soon  left 

aao 


THE  OMA-SULINGS  221 

behind  and  two  hours  later  we  passed  Long  Blu,  the  great 
Kayan  kampong.  The  weather  was  superb  and  the 
current  carried  us  swiftly  along.  The  great  Mahakam 
River  presented  several  fine,  extensive  views,  with  hills 
on  either  side,  thick  white  clouds  moving  slowly  over  the 
blue  sky.  As  soon  as  we  entered  the  country  of  the  Oma- 
Suling  it  was  pleasant  to  observe  that  the  humble  cot- 
tages of  the  ladangs  had  finely  carved  wooden  ornaments 
standing  out  from  each  gable. 

We  arrived  at  Long  Pahangei  {h  pronounced  as  Span- 
ish jota)  early  in  the  afternoon.  Gongs  were  sound- 
ing, but  very  few  people  were  there,  and  no  visitors  at 
all,  although  this  was  the  first  day  of  the  feast.  This  is 
a  large  kampong  lying  at  the  mouth  of  a  tributary  of  the 
same  name,  and  is  the  residence  of  a  native  district 
kapala.  After  I  had  searched  everywhere  for  a  quiet 
spot  he  showed  me  a  location  in  a  clump  of  jungle  along 
the  river  bank  which,  when  cleared,  made  a  suitable 
place  for  my  tent.  Our  Penihings  were  all  eager  to  help, 
some  clearing  the  jungle,  others  bringing  up  the  goods 
as  well  as  cutting  poles  and  bamboo  sticks.  Evidently 
they  enjoyed  the  work,  pitching  into  it  with  much  gusto 
and  interest.  The  result  was  a  nice  though  limited 
camping  place  on  a  narrow  ridge,  and  I  gave  each  man  one 
stick  of  tobacco  as  extra  payment. 

During  our  stay  here  much  rain  fell  in  steady  down- 
pours lasting  a  night  or  half  a  day.  As  the  same  condi- 
tion existed  higher  up  the  river,  at  times  the  water  rose 
menacingly  near  my  tent,  and  for  one  night  I  had  to  move 
away.      But  rain  in  these  tropics  is  never  merciless,  it 


2ZZ  THROrC.H  CENTRAL  BORNEO 

seems  to  me.  Back  from  the  coast  there  Is  seldom  any 
wind,  and  in  the  knowledge  that  at  any  time  the  clouds 
may  give  place  to  brilliant  sunshine,  it  is  not  at  all  de- 
pressing. Of  course  it  is  better  to  avoid  getting  wet 
through,  but  when  this  occurs  little  concern  is  felt,  be- 
cause one's  clothing  dries  so  quickly. 

The  Oma-Sulings  are  pleasant  to  deal  with,  being 
bashful  and  unspoiled.  The  usual  repulsive  skin  diseases 
are  seldom  seen,  and  the  women  are  attractive.  There 
appears  to  have  been,  and  still  is,  much  intercourse  be- 
tween the  Oma-Sulings  and  their  equally  pleasant  neigh- 
bours to  the  east,  the  Long-Glats.  Many  of  the  latter 
came  to  the  feast  and  there  is  much  intermarrying  among 
the  nobles  of  the  two  tribes.  Lidju,  my  assistant  and 
friend  here,  was  a  noble  of  the  Long-Glats  with  the  title 
of  raja  and  married  a  sister  of  the  great  chief  of  the  Oma- 
Sulings.  She  was  the  principal  of  the  numerous  female 
blians  of  the  kampong,  slender  of  figure,  active  both  in 
her  profession  and  in  domestic  affairs,  and  always  very 
courteous.  They  had  no  children.  Although  he  did  not 
speak  Malay  very  well,  still,  owing  to  his  earnestness  of 
purpose,  Lidju  was  of  considerable  assistance  to  me. 

The  kampong  consists  of  several  long  houses  of  the 
usual  Dayak  style,  lying  in  a  row  and  following  the  river 
course,  but  here  they  were  separated  into  two  groups 
with  a  brook  winding  its  way  to  the  river  between  them. 
Very  large  drums,  nearly  four  metres  long,  hung  on  the 
wall  of  the  galleries,  six  in  one  house,  with  the  head 
somewhat  higher  than  the  other  end.  This  instrument, 
slightly  conical  in  shape,  is  formed  from  a  log  of  fine- 


THE  M£LAH  CEREMONY  lUR  IMPARTING  HEALTH  AM»  STRExVGTH.    LONG 

PAHAXGEI 


OMA-SULL\GS.    LONG  PAH.\NGEI 


rill,  ijam.i,i  hit.  a  iKMroRARV  ri,A(  i;  oi  woK.-iiir 

Tb*  hut  »  hniilt  on  a  level  with  the  gallrr>-  "i  ihc  houw  ami  ercclwl  (or  ibc  siwcial  purpose  of 

the  feast 


THE  GREAT  FEAST  223 

grained  wood,  light  in  colour,  with  a  cover  made  from  wild 
ox  hide.  An  especially  constructed  iron  tool  driven  by 
blows  from  a  small  club  is  used  to  hollow  out  the  log, 
and  the  drum  is  usually  completed  in  a  single  night, 
many  men  taking  turns.  In  one  part  of  the  house  lying 
furthest  west  lived  Dayaks  called  Oma-Palo,  who  were 
reported  to  have  been  in  this  tribe  a  hundred  years. 
They  occupied  "eight  doors,'*  while  further  on,  in  quarters 
comprising  "five  doors,"  dwelt  Oma-Tepe,  more  recent 
arrivals;  and  both  clans  have  married  Oma-Suling  women. 
The  purpose  of  the  great  feast  that  filled  everybody's 
thoughts  is  to  obtain  many  children,  a  plentiful  harvest, 
good  health,  many  pigs,  and  much  fruit.  A  prominent 
Dayak  said  to  me:  "If  we  did  not  have  this  feast  there 
would  not  be  many  children;  the  paddi  would  not  ripen 
well,  or  would  fail;  wild  beasts  would  eat  the  fowls,  and 
there  would  be  no  bananas  or  other  fruits."  The  first 
four  days  are  chiefly  taken  up  with  preparations,  the  fes- 
tival occurring  on  the  fifth  and  sixth  days.  A  place  of 
worship  adjoining  the  front  of  the  easternmost  house 
was  being  constructed,  with  a  floor  high  above  ground  on 
a  level  with  the  gallery,  with  which  it  was  connected  by 
a  couple  of  planks  for  a  bridge.  Although  flimsily  built, 
the  structure  was  abundantly  strong  to  support  the  com- 
bined weight  of  the  eight  female  blians  who  at  times 
performed  therein.  The  hut,  which  was  profusely  dec- 
orated with  long,  hanging  wood  shavings,  is  called  dangei 
and  is  an  important  adjunct  of  the  feast,  to  which  the 
same  name  is  sometimes  given.  Ordinary  people  are 
not  allowed  to  enter,  though  they  may  ascend  the  ladder, 


224  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

giving  access  to  the  gallery,  in  close  proximity  to  the 
sanctuary'. 

Prior  to  the  fifth  day  a  progressive  scale  is  observed 
in  regard  to  food  regulations,  and  after  the  sixth,  when 
the  festive  high  mark  is  reached,  there  is  a  corresponding 
decrease  to  normal.  Only  a  little  boiled  rice  is  eaten 
the  first  day,  but  on  the  second,  third,  and  fourth,  rations 
are  gradually  increased  by  limited  additions  of  toasted 
rice.  The  fifth  and  sixth  days  give  occasion  for  indulgence 
in  much  rice  and  pork,  the  quantity  being  reduced  on  the 
seventh,  when  the  remaining  pork  is  finished.  On  the 
eighth  and  ninth  days  the  regulations  permit  only  boiled 
and  toasted  rice.  Not  much  food  remains  on  the  tenth, 
when  the  menu  reverts  to  boiled  rice  exclusively.  Some 
kinds  of  fish  may  be  eaten  during  the  ten-day  period, 
while  others  are  prohibited. 

It  was  interesting  to  observe  what  an  important  part 
the  female  blians  or  priest-doctors  played  at  the  festival. 
They  were  much  in  evidence  and  managed  the  ceremonies. 
The  men  of  the  profession  kept  in  the  background  and 
hardly  one  was  seen.  During  the  feast  they  abstain  from 
bathing  for  eight  days,  do  not  eat  the  meat  of  wild  babi, 
nor  salt;  and  continence  is  the  rule.  Every  day  of  the 
festival,  morning,  afternoon,  and  evening,  a  service  is 
performed  for  imparting  health  and  strength,  called  me- 
lah,  of  which  the  children  appear  to  be  the  chief  benefici- 
aries. Mothers  bring  babes  in  cradles  on  their  backs,  as 
well  as  their  larger  children.  The  blian,  who  must  be  fe- 
male, seizing  the  mother's  right  hand  with  her  left,  re- 
peatedly passes  the  blade  of  a  big  knife  up  her  arm.     The 


THE  GREAT  FEAST  225 

child  in  the  cradle  also  stretches  out  its  right  arm  to 
receive  treatment,  while  other  children  and  women  place 
their  right  hands  on  the  hand  and  arm  of  the  first  woman, 
five  to  ten  individuals  thus  simultaneously  receiving  the 
passes  which  the  blian  dispenses  from  left  to  right.  She 
accompanies  the  ceremony  with  murmured  expressions 
suggesting  removal  from  the  body  of  all  that  is  evil, 
with  exhortations  to  improvement,  etc. 

This  service  concluded,  a  man  standing  in  the  back- 
ground holding  a  shield  with  the  inside  uppermost,  ad- 
vances to  the  side  of  the  mother  and  places  it  horizontally 
under  the  cradle,  where  it  is  rapidly  moved  forward  and 
backward.  Some  of  the  men  also  presented  themselves 
for  treatment  after  the  manner  above  described,  and  al- 
though the  melah  performance  is  usually  reserved  for  this 
great  feast,  it  may  be  employed  by  the  blian  for  nightly 
service  in  curing  disease. 

This  was  followed  by  a  dance  of  the  blians  present, 
nine  or  ten  in  number,  to  the  accompaniment  of  four 
gongs  and  one  drum.  They  moved  in  single  file,  most  of 
them  making  two  steps  and  a  slight  turn  to  left,  two  steps 
and  a  slight  turn  to  right,  while  others  moved  straight 
on.  In  this  way  they  described  a  drawn-out  circle,  ap- 
proaching an  ellipse,  sixteen  times.  After  the  dancing 
those  who  took  part  in  the  ceremonies  ate  toasted  rice. 
Each  day  of  the  feast  in  the  afternoon  food  was  given  to 
antoh  by  blians  and  girl  pupils.  Boiled  rice,  a  small 
quantity  of  salt,  some  dried  fish,  and  boiled  fowl  were 
wrapped  in  pieces  of  banana  leaves,  and  two  such  small 
parcels  were  offered  on  each  occasion. 


226  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

Meantime  the  festive  preparations  continued.  Many 
loads  of  bamboo  were  brought  in,  because  much  rice  and 
much  pork  was  to  be  cooked  in  these  handy  utensils 
provided  by  nature.  Visitors  were  slowly  but  steadily 
arriving.  On  the  fourth  day  came  the  principal  man,  the 
Raja  Besar  (great  chief),  who  resides  a  little  further  up 
the  river,  accompanied  by  his  family.  The  son  of  a 
Long-Glat  father  and  an  Oma-Suling  mother,  Ledjuli 
claimed  to  be  raja  not  only  of  these  tribes,  but  also  of  the 
Kayans.  Next  morning  Raja  Besar  and  his  stately  wife, 
of  Oma-Suling  nobility,  accompanied  by  the  kapala  of 
the  kampong  and  others,  paid  me  a  visit,  presenting  me 
with  a  long  sugarcane,  a  somewhat  rare  product  in  these 
parts  and  considered  a  great  delicacy,  one  large  papaya, 
white  onions,  and  bananas.  In  return  I  gave  one  cake 
of  chocolate,  two  French  tins  of  meat,  one  tin  of  boiled 
ham,  and  tobacco. 

Domestic  pigs,  of  which  the  kampong  possessed  over 
a  hundred,  at  last  began  to  come  in  from  the  outlying 
ladangs.  One  by  one  they  were  carried  alive  on  the 
backs  of  men.  The  feet  having  first  been  tied  together, 
the  animal  was  enclosed  in  a  coarse  network  of  rattan  or 
fibre.  For  the  smaller  specimens  tiny,  close-fitting  bam- 
boo boxes  had  been  made,  pointed  at  one  end  to  accom- 
modate the  snout.  The  live  bundles  were  deposited  on 
the  galleries,  and  on  the  fifth  day  they  were  lying  in  rows 
and  heaps,  sixty-six  in  number,  awaiting  their  ultimate 
destiny.  The  festival  was  now  about  to  begin  in  earnest 
and  an  air  of  expectancy  was  evident  in  the  faces  of  the 
natives.     After  the  performance  of  the  melah  and  the 


y-  A 


^     .2 


Oh 


Z     5 


COS 


111,11      V   iriM,  (,i  \t    \()HLK.  AM)  HIS  WII  K.  TIIK  SISTKR  OK   THE  RAJ  \      i 

Lost;  I'AMAN(;ei 


THE  GREAT  FEAST  227 

dance  of  the  blians,  and  these  were  a  daily  feature  of  the 
great  occasion,  a  dance  hitherto  in  vogue  at  night  was 
danced  in  the  afternoon.  In  this  the  people,  in  single 
file,  moved  very  slowly  with  rythmic  steps,  describing 
a  circle  around  three  blians,  including  the  principal  one, 
who  sat  smoking  in  the  centre,  with  some  bamboo  baskets 
near  by.  Next  morning  the  circular  dance  was  repeated, 
with  the  difference  that  the  participants  were  holding  on 
to  a  rope. 

About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  Dayaks  be- 
gan to  kill  the  pigs  by  cutting  the  artery  of  the  neck. 
The  animals,  which  were  in  surprisingly  good  condition, 
made  little  outcry.  The  livers  were  examined,  and  if 
found  to  be  of  bad  omen  were  thrown  away,  but  the  pig 
itself  is  eaten  in  such  cases,  though  a  full-grown  fowl  or  a 
tiny  chicken  only  a  few  days  old  must  be  sacrificed  in  ad- 
dition. The  carcasses  were  freed  from  hair  by  fire  in  the 
usual  way  and  afterward  cleaned  with  the  knife.  The 
skin  is  eaten  with  the  meat,  which  at  night  was  cooked 
in  bamboo.  Outside,  in  front  of  the  houses,  rice  cooking 
had  been  going  on  all  day.  In  one  row  there  were  per- 
haps fifty  bamboos,  each  stuffed  with  envelopes  of  ba- 
nana leaves  containing  rice,  the  parcels  being  some  thirty 
centimetres  long  and  three  wide. 

During  the  night  there  was  a  grand  banquet  in  all  the 
houses.  Lidju,  my  assistant,  did  not  forget,  on  this  day 
of  plenty,  to  send  my  party  generous  gifts  of  fresh  pork. 
To  me  he  presented  a  fine  small  ham.  As  salt  had  been 
left  behind  we  had  to  boil  the  meat  a  la  Dayak  in  bamboo 
with  very  little  water,  which  compensates  for  the  ab- 


228  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

sence  of  seasoning.  A  couple  of  men  brought  us  two 
bamboos  containing  that  gelatinous  delicacy  into  which 
rice  is  transformed  when  cooked  in  this  \^ay.  And,  as  if 
this  were  not  enough,  early  next  morning  a  procession  ar- 
rived carrying  food  on  two  shields,  the  inside  being  turned 
upward.  On  these  were  parcels  wrapped  in  banana 
leaves  containing  boiled  rice,  to  \\hich  were  tied  large 
pieces  of  cooked  pork.  The  first  man  to  appear  stepped 
up  to  a  banana  growing  near,  broke  off  a  leaf  which  he 
put  on  the  ground  in  front  of  me,  and  placed  on  it  two 
bundles.  The  men  were  unable  to  speak  Malay  and  im- 
mediately went  away  without  making  even  a  suggestion 
that  they  expected  remuneration,  as  did  the  two  who 
had  given  us  rice.     I  had  never  seen  them  before. 

The  sixth  day  was  one  of  general  rejoicing.  Food 
was  exchanged  between  the  two  groups  of  houses  and 
people  were  in  a  very  joyful  mood,  eating  pork,  running 
about,  and  playing  tricks  on  each  other.  Both  men 
and  women  carried  charcoal  mixed  with  the  fat  of  pork, 
with  which  they  tried  to  smear  the  face  and  upper  body 
of  all  whom  they  met.  All  were  privileged  to  engage  in 
this  sport  but  the  women  were  especially  active,  pursu- 
ing the  men,  who  tried  to  avoid  them,  some  'taking  ref- 
uge behind  my  tent.  The  women  followed  one  man 
through  the  enclosure  surrounding  the  tent,  at  my  invi- 
tation, but  they  did  not  succeed  in  catching  him.  This 
practical  joking  was  continued  on  the  following  days 
except  the  last. 

The  Oma-Palo  had  their  own  festival,  which  lasted 
only  one  day.     It  began  in  the  afternoon  of  the  sixth  day 


THE  GREAT  FEAST  229 

and  I  went  over  to  see  it.  The  livers  of  the  pigs  were 
not  in  favourable  condition,  which  caused  much  delay  in 
the  proceedings,  and  it  was  nearly  five  o'clock  when  they 
finally  began  to  make  a  primitive  dangei  hut,  all  the  ma- 
terial for  which  had  been  gathered.  A  few  slim  upright 
poles  with  human  faces  carved  at  the  upper  ends  were 
placed  so  as  to  form  the  outline  of  a  quadrangle.  On  the 
ground  between  them  planks  were  laid,  and  on  the  two 
long  sides  of  this  space  were  raised  bamboo  stalks  with 
leaves  on,  which  leaned  together  and  formed  an  airy 
cover.  It  was  profusely  adorned  with  wood  shavings 
hung  by  the  ends  in  long  spirals,  the  whole  arrangement 
forming  a  much  simpler  house  of  worship  than  the  one 
described  above.  The  kapala  having  sacrificed  a  tiny 
chicken,  a  man  performed  a  war  dance  on  the  planks  in 
superb  fashion,  and  after  that  two  female  blians  danced. 
Next  morning  I  returned  and  asked  permission  to  photo- 
graph the  dancing.  The  kapala  replied  that  if  a  photo- 
graph were  made  while  they  were  working — that  is  to  say, 
dancing — they  would  have  to  do  all  their  work  over  again, 
otherwise  some  misfortune  would  come  upon  them,  such 
as  the  falling  of  one  of  the  bamboo  stalks,  which  might 
kill  somebody.  Later,  while  they  were  eating,  for  ex- 
ample, there  would  be  no  objection  to  the  accomplish- 
ment of  my  desire. 

With  the  eighth  day  an  increased  degree  of  ceremonials 
became  noticeable,  and  in  order  to  keep  pace  therewith  I 
was  driven  to  continuous  activity.  On  a  muggy,  warm 
morning  I  began  work  by  photographing  the  Raja  Besar, 
who  had  given  me  permission  to  take  himself  and  his  fam- 


230      THROUGH  CENTRAL  BORNEO 

llv.  When  I  arrived  at  the  house  where  lie  was  staying 
he  quickly  made  his  preparations  to  "look  pleasant," 
removing  the  large  rings  he  wore  in  the  extended  lobes  of 
his  ears  and  substituting  a  set  of  smaller  ones,  eight  for 
each  ear.  He  was  also  very  particular  in  putting  on 
correct  apparel,  whether  to  appear  in  warrior  costume  or 
as  a  private  gentleman  of  the  highest  caste.  His  sword 
and  the  rest  of  his  outfit,  as  might  be  expected,  were  of 
magnificent  finish,  the  best  of  which  Dayak  handicraft  is 
capable.  He  made  altogether  a  splendid  subject  for  the 
camera,  but  his  family  proved  less  satisfactory.  I  had 
to  wait  an  hour  and  a  half  before  _his  womenfolk  were 
ready,  femininity  apparently  being  alike  in  this  regard 
in  all  races.  When  they  finally  emerged  from  the  house 
in  great  array  (which  showed  Malay  influence)  they  were 
a  distinct  disappointment. 

The  raja,  who  was  extremely  obliging,  ordered  the 
principal  men  of  the  kampong  to  appear  in  complete  war 
outfit,  and  showed  us  how  an  imaginary  attack  of  Iban 
head-hunters  would  be  met.  They  came  streaming  one 
after  another  down  the  ladder,  made  the  evolutions  of  a 
running  attack  in  close  formation,  holding  their  large 
shields  in  front  of  them,  then  ran  to  the  water  and  pad- 
dled away,  standing  in  their  prahus,  to  meet  the  supposed 
enemy  in  the  utan  on  the  other  side  of  the  river. 

At  noon  the  female  blians  were  preparing  for  an  im- 
portant ceremony  in  the  dangei  iuit,  with  a  dance  round 
it  on  the  ground  later,  and  I  therefore  went  up  to  the 
gallery.  The  eight  performers  IkK!  each  other  by  the 
hands  in  a  circle  so  large  that  it  filled  the  hut.     Con- 


THE  GREAT  FEAST  231 

stantly  waving  their  arms  backward  and  forward  they 
moved  round  and  round.  Some  relics  from  Apo  Kayan 
were  then  brought  in:  a  small,  shining  gong  without  a 
knob  and  a  very  large  bracelet  which  looked  as  if  it  had 
been  made  of  bamboo  and  was  about  eight  centimetres 
in  diameter.  One  of  the  blians  placed  the  bracelet  round 
her  folded  hands  and  then  ran  round  the  circle  as  well  as 
through  it;  I  believe  this  was  repeated  sixteen  times. 
When  she  had  finished  running  they  all  walked  in  single 
file  over  into  the  gallery  in  order  to  perform  the  inevitable 
melah. 

Shortly  afterward  followed  a  unique  performance  of 
throwing  rice,  small  bundles  of  which,  wrapped  in  ba- 
nana leaves,  were  lying  in  readiness  on  the  floor.  Some 
of  the  men  caught  them  with  such  violence  that  the  rice 
was  spilled  all  about,  and  then  they  flipped  the  banana 
leaves  at  those  who  stood  near.  Some  of  the  women  had 
crawled  up  under  the  roof  in  anticipation  of  what  was 
coming.  After  a  few  minutes  passed  thus,  the  eight 
blians  seated  themselves  in  the  dangei  hut  and  prepared 
food  for  antoh  in  the  way  described  above,  but  on  this 
occasion  one  of  them  pounded  paddi  with  two  short 
bamboo  sticks,  singing  all  the  while. 

A  very  amusing  entertainment  then  began,  consist- 
ing of  wrestling  by  the  young  men,  who  were  encouraged 
by  the  blians  to  take  it  up  and  entered  the  game  with 
much  enthusiasm,  one  or  two  pairs  constantly  dancing 
round  and  round  until  one  became  the  victor.  The  par- 
ticipants of  their  own  accord  had  divested  themselves  of 
their  holiday  chavats  and  put  on  small  ones  for  wrestling. 


232  THROUGH  CENTRAL  BORNEO 

With  the  left  hand  the  antagonist  takes  hold  of  the 
descending  portion  of  the  chavat  in  the  back,  while  with 
the  right  he  grasps  the  encircling  chavat  in  front.  They 
wrestled  with  much  earnestness  but  no  anger.  When  the 
game  was  continued  the  following  morning  the  young 
men  presented  a  sorry  spectacle.  Rain  had  fallen  during 
the  night,  and  the  vanquished  generally  landed  heavily 
on  their  backs  in  the  mud-holes,  the  wrestlers  joining 
in  the  general  laugh  at  their  expense.  To  encourage 
them  I  had  promised  every  victor  twenty  cents,  which 
added  much  to  the  interest. 

Having  concluded  their  task  of  feeding  the  antohs  the 
blians  climbed  down  the  ladder  and  began  a  march  in 
single  file  round  the  dangei  hut,  each  carrying  one  of  the 
implements  of  daily  life:  a  spear,  a  small  parang,  an  axe, 
an  empty  rattan  bag  in  which  the  bamboos  are  enclosed 
when  the  woman  fetches  water,  or  in  which  vegetables, 
etc.,  are  conveyed,  and  another  bag  of  the  same  material 
suitable  for  transporting  babi.  Four  of  the  women  car- 
ried the  small  knife  which  is  woman's  special  instrument, 
though  also  employed  by  the  men.  When  the  eight  blians 
on  this,  the  eighth  day,  had  marched  sixteen  times  around 
the  dangei  they  ascended  the  ladder  again.  Shortly 
aftenvard  a  man  standing  on  the  gallery  pushed  over  the 
flimsy  place  of  worship — a  signal  that  the  end  of  the 
feast  had  come.  On  the  previous  day  a  few  visitors  had 
departed  and  others  left  daily. 

The  feast  had  brought  together  from  other  parts  about 
200  Oma-Sulings  and  Long-Glats.  The  women  of  both 
tribes  showed  strikingly  fine  manners,  especially  those  be- 


THE  GREAT  FEAST  233 

longing  to  the  higher  class,  which  was  well  represented. 
Some  were  expensively  dressed,  though  in  genuine  bar- 
baric fashion  as  indicated  by  the  ornaments  sewn  upon 
their  skirts,  which  consisted  of  hundreds  of  florins  and 
ringits.  It  should  be  conceded,  however,  that  with  the 
innate  artistic  sense  of  the  Dayaks,  the  coins,  all  scrupu- 
lously clean,  had  been  employed  to  best  advantage  in 
pretty  designs,  and  the  damsels  were  strong  enough  to 
carry  the  extra  burden. 

The  climax  had  been  passed  and  little  more  was  going 
on,  the  ninth  day  being  given  over  to  the  amusement  of 
daubing  each  other  with  black  paste.  On  the  tenth  day 
they  all  went  away  to  a  small  river  in  the  neighbourhood, 
where  they  took  their  meals,  cooking  paddi  in  bamboo,  also 
fish  in  the  same  manner.  This  proceeding  is  called  nasam, 
and  the  pemali  (tabu)  is  now  all  over.  During  the  days 
immediately  following  the  people  may  go  to  the  ladang, 
but  are  obliged  to  sleep  in  the  kampong,  and  they  must 
not  undertake  long  journeys.  When  the  feast  ended 
the  blians  placed  four  eggs  in  the  clefts  of  four  upright 
bamboo  sticks  as  sacrifice  to  antoh.  Such  eggs  are  gath- 
ered from  hens  that  are  sitting,  and  those  which  have  be- 
come stale  in  unoccupied  nests  are  also  used.  If  there 
are  not  enough  such  eggs,  fresh  ones  are  taken. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

DAYAK  DOGS — A  FUNKRAL  ON  THE  MAHAKAM OUR  RETURN 

JOURNEY — AGAIN   AT  LONG  TJEHAN — IN   SEARCH   OF  A 
UNIQUE  ORCHID — ^A  BURIAL  CAVE 

Every  night  while  we  were  camped  here,  and  fre- 
quently in  the  day,  as  if  controlled  by  magic,  the  numer- 
ous dogs  belonging  to  the  Dayaks  suddenly  began  to  howl 
in  chorus.  It  is  more  ludicrous  than  disagreeable  and  is 
a  phenomenon  common  to  all  kampongs,  though  I  never 
before  had  experienced  these  manifestations  in  such  reg^ 
ularity  and  perfection  of  concerted  action.  One  or  two 
howls  are  heard  and  immediately  all  canines  of  the  kam- 
pong  and  neighbouring  ladangs  join,  perhaps  more  than 
a  hundred  in  one  chorus.  At  a  distance  the  noise  re- 
sembles the  acclamations  of  a  vast  crowd  of  people.  The 
Penihings  and  Oma-Sulings  treat  man's  faithful  com- 
panion well,  the  former  even  with  affection;  and  the  dogs, 
which  are  of  the  usual  type,  yellowish  in  colour,  with 
pointed  muzzle,  erect  ears,  and  upstanding  tail,  are  in 
fine  condition.  A  trait  peculiar  to  the  Dayak  variety  is 
that  he  never  barks  at  strangers,  permitting  them  to 
walk  on  the  galleries  or  even  in  the  rooms  without  inter- 
ference. Groups  of  these  intelligent  animals  are  always  to 
be  seen  before  the  house  and  on  the  gallery,  often  in  ter- 
rific fights  among  themselves,  but  never  offensive  to 
strangers. 

They  certainly  serve  the  Dayaks  well  by  holding  the 

334 


DAYAK  DOGS  235 

pig  or  other  animal  at  bay  until  the  men  can  come  up 
and  kill  it  with  spear.  Some  of  them  are  afraid  of  bear, 
others  attack  them.  They  are  very  eager  to  board  the 
prahus  when  their  owners  depart  to  the  ladangs,  think- 
ing that  it  means  a  chase  of  the  wild  pig.  Equally  eager 
are  they  to  get  into  the  room  at  night,  or  at  any  time 
when  the  owner  has  left  them  outside.  Doors  are  cleverly 
opened  by  them,  but  when  securely  locked  the  dogs  some- 
times, in  their  impatience,  gnaw  holes  in  the  lower  part  of 
the  door  which  look  like  the  work  of  rodents,  though  none 
that  I  saw  was  large  enough  to  admit  a  canine  of  their 
size.  One  day  a  big  live  pig  was  brought  in  from  the  utan 
over  the  shoulder  of  a  strong  man,  its  legs  tied  together, 
and  as  a  compliment  to  me  the  brute  was  tethered  to  a 
pole  by  one  leg,  while  the  dogs,  about  fifty,  barked  at 
and  harassed  it.  This,  I  was  told,  is  the  way  they  for- 
merly were  trained.  As  in  a  bull-fight,  so  here  my  sym- 
pathy was  naturally  with  the  animal,  which  managed  to 
bite  a  dog  severely  in  the  side  and  shook  another  vigor- 
ously by  the  tail.  Finally  some  young  boys  gave  it  a 
merciful  death  with  spears. 

A  woman  blian  died  after  an  illness  of  five  days,  and 
the  next  forenoon  a  cofiin  was  made  from  an  old  prahu. 
She  had  not  been  ill  long,  so  the  preparations  for  the 
funeral  were  brief.  Early  in  the  afternoon  wailing  was 
heard  from  the  gallery,  and  a  few  minutes  later  the  cor- 
tege emerged  on  its  way  to  the  river  bank,  taking  a  short 
cut  over  the  slope  between  the  trees,  walking  fast  be- 
cause they  feared  that  if  they  lingered  other  people 
might  become  ill.     There  were  only  seven  or  eight  mem- 


236  THROrCH   CKNTRAL    BORNEO 

hers  of  the  procession;  most  of  whom  acted  as  pall-bear- 
ers, and  all  were  poor  people.  They  deposited  their 
burden  on  the  bank,  kneeling  around  it  for  a  few  minutes 
and  crying  mournfully.  A  hen  had  been  killed  at  the 
house,  but  no  food  was  offered  to  antoh  at  the  place  of 
embarkation,  as  had  been  expected  by  some  of  their 
neighbours. 

Covered  with  a  large  white  cloth,  the  coffin  was  hur- 
riedly taken  down  from  the  embankment  and  placed  in 
a  prahu,  which  they  immediately  proceeded  to  paddle 
down-stream  where  the  burial  was  to  take  place  in  the 
utan  some  distance  away.  The  reddish-brown  waters  of 
the  Mahakam,  nearly  always  at  flood,  flowed  swiftly  be- 
tween the  walls  of  dark  jungle  on  either  side  and  shone 
in  the  early  afternoon  sun,  under  a  pale-blue  sky,  with 
beautiful,  small,  distant  white  clouds.  Three  mourners 
remained  behind,  one  man  standing,  gazing  after  the 
craft.  Then,  as  the  prahu,  now  very  small  to  the  eye,  ap- 
proached the  distant  bend  of  the  river,  in  a  few  seconds  to 
disappear  from  sight,  the  man  who  had  been  standing  in 
deep  reflection  went  down  to  the  water  followed  by  the 
two  women,  each  of  whom  slipped  off  her  only  garment 
in  their  usual  dexterous  way,  and  all  proceeded  to  bathe, 
thus  washing  away  all  odours  or  other  effects  of  contact 
with  the  corpse,  which  might  render  them  liable  to  attack 
from  the  antoh  that  had  killed  the  woman  blian. 

In  the  first  week  of  June  we  began  our  return  journey 
against  the  current,  arriving  in  the  afternoon  at  Data 
Lingei,  an  Oma-Suling  kampong  said  to  be  inhabited  also 
by   Long-Cilats  and  three  other  tribes.     We  were  very 


OUR   RETURN  JOURNEY  237 

welcome  here.  Although  I  told  them  I  did  not  need  a 
bamboo  palisade  round  my  tent  for  one  night,  these  hos- 
pitable people,  after  putting  up  my  tent,  placed  round  it  a 
fence  of  planks  which  chanced  to  be  at  hand.  At  dusk 
everything  was  in  order  and  I  took  a  walk  through  the 
kampong  followed  by  a  large  crowd  which  had  been  pres- 
ent all  the  time. 

Having  told  them  to  bring  all  the  articles  they  wanted 
to  sell,  I  quickly  bought  some  good  masks  and  a  number 
of  tail  feathers  from  the  rhinoceros  hornbill,  which  are  re- 
garded as  very  valuable,  being  worn  by  the  warriors  in 
their  rattan  caps.  All  were  "in  the  market,"  prices  were 
not  at  all  exorbitant,  and  business  progressed  very  briskly 
until  nine  o'clock,  when  I  had  made  valuable  additions, 
especially  of  masks,  to  my  collections.  The  evening 
passed  pleasantly  and  profitably  to  all  concerned.  I 
acquired  a  shield  which,  besides  the  conventionalised 
representation  of  a  dog,  exhibited  a  wild-looking  picture 
of  an  antoh,  a  very  common  feature  on  Dayak  shields. 
The  first  idea  it  suggests  to  civilised  man  is  that  its  pur- 
pose is  to  terrify  the  enemy,  but  my  informant  laughed 
at  this  suggestion.  It  represents  a  good  antoh  who  keeps 
the  owner  of  the  shield  in  vigorous  health. 

The  kapala's  house  had  at  once  attracted  attention 
on  account  of  the  unusually  beautiful  carvings  that  ex- 
tended from  each  gable,  and  which  on  a  later  occasion  I 
photographed.  These  were  long  boards  carved  in  artistic 
semblance  of  the  powerful  antoh  called  nagah,  a  benev- 
olent spirit,  but  also  a  vindictive  one.  The  two  carv- 
ings together  portrayed  the  same  monster,  the  one  show- 


238  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

ing  its  head  and  body,  the  other  its  tail.  Before  being 
placed  on  the  gables  a  sacrifice  had  been  offered  and  the 
carvings  had  been  smeared  with  blood — in  other  words, 
to  express  the  thought  of  the  Dayak,  as  this  antoh  is 
very  fierce  when  aroused  to  ire,  it  had  first  been  given 
blood  to  eat,  in  order  that  it  should  not  be  angry  with 
the  owner  of  the  house,  but  disposed  to  protect  him  from 
his  enemies.  While  malevolent  spirits  do  not  associate 
with  good  ones,  some  which  usually  are  beneficent  at 
times  may  do  harm,  and  among  these  is  one,  the  nagah, 
that  dominates  the  imagination  of  many  Dayak  tribes. 
It  appears  to  be  about  the  size  of  a  rusa,  and  in  form  is 
a  combination  of  the  body  of  that  animal  and  a  serpent, 
the  horned  head  having  a  disproportionately  large  dog's 
mouth.  Being  an  antoh,  and  the  greatest  of  all,  it  is  in- 
visible under  ordinary  conditions,  but  lives  in  rivers  and 
underground  caves,  and  it  eats  human  beings. 

Lidju,  who  accompanied  me  as  interpreter  and  to  be 
generally  useful,  had  aroused  the  men  early  in  the  morn- 
ing to  cook  their  rice,  so  that  we  could  start  at  seven 
o'clock,  arriving  in  good  time  at  the  Kayan  kampong. 
Long  Blu.  Here,  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  was 
formerly  a  small  military  establishment,  inhabited  at 
present  by  a  few  Malay  families,  the  only  ones  on  the 
Mahakam  River  above  the  great  kihams.  Accom- 
panied by  Lidju  I  crossed  the  river  to  see  the  great 
kampong  of  the  Kayans. 

Ascending  the  tall  ladder  which  leads  up  to  the  kam- 
pong, we  passed  through  long,  deserted-looking  galleries, 
and  from  one  a  woman  hurriedly  retired  into  a  room.  The 
inhabitants  were   at   their  ladancs,   most   of  them   four 


OUR  RETURN  JOURNEY  239 

hours'  travel  from  here.  Arriving  finally  at  the  house  of 
Kwing  Iran,  I  was  met  by  a  handful  of  people  gathered 
in  its  cheerless,  half-dark  gallery.  On  our  return  to  a 
newly  erected  section  of  the  kampong  we  met  the  intelli- 
gent kapala  and  a  few  men.  Some  large  prahus  were  ly- 
ing on  land  outside  the  house,  bound  for  Long  Iram, 
where  the  Kayans  exchange  rattan  and  rubber  for  salt 
and  other  commodities,  but  the  start  had  been  delayed 
because  the  moon,  which  was  in  its  second  quarter,  was 
not  favourable.  These  natives  are  reputed  to  have  much 
wang,  owing  to  the  fact  that  formerly  they  supplied  rice 
to  the  garrison,  receiving  one  ringit  for  each  tinful. 

Though  next  day  was  rainy  and  the  river  high,  mak- 
ing paddling  hard  work,  we  arrived  in  good  time  at  Long 
Tjehan  and  found  ourselves  again  among  the  Peni- 
hings.  During  the  month  I  still  remained  here  I  made 
valuable  ethnological  collections  and  also  acquired  needed 
information  concerning  the  meaning  and  use  of  the  dif- 
ferent objects,  which  is  equally  important.  The  chief 
difficulty  was  to  find  an  interpreter,  but  an  intelligent  and 
efficient  Penihing  offered  his  services.  He  "had  been  to 
Soerabaia,"  which  means  that  he  had  been  at  hard 
labour,  convicted  of  head-hunting,  and  during  his  term 
had  acquired  a  sufficient  knowledge  of  Malay  to  be 
able  to  serve  me.  My  Penihing  collections  I  believe  are 
complete.  Of  curious  interest  are  the  many  games  for 
children,  among  them  several  varieties  of  what  might  be 
termed  toy  guns  and  different  kinds  of  puzzles,  some  of 
wood  while  others  are  plaited  from  leaves  or  made  of 
thread. 

The  kampong  lies  at  the  junction  of  the  Mahakam 


240  THROUGH  CENTRAL   BORNEO 

and  a  small  river  called  Tjehan,  which,  like  several  other 
affluents  from  the  south,  originates  in  the  dividing  range. 
The  Tjehan  contains  two  or  three  kihams  but  is  easy  to 
ascend,  and  at  its  head-waters  the  range  presents  no 
difficulties  in  crossing.  This  is  not  the  case  at  the  sources 
of  the  Blu,  where  the  watershed  is  high  and  difficult  to 
pass.  Small  parties  of  Malays  occasionally  cross  over  to 
the  Mahakam  at  these  points  as  well  as  at  Pahangei.  In 
the  country  surrounding  the  kampong  are  several  lime- 
stone hills,  the  largest  of  which,  Lung  Karang,  rises  in  the 
immediate  vicinity. 

Doctor  Nieuwenhuis  on  his  journey  ascended  some 
distance  up  the  Tjehan  tributary,  and  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Lung  Karang  his  native  collector  found  an  orchid 
which  was  named  phalcsnopsis  gigantea,  and  is  known  only 
from  the  single  specimen  in  the  botanical  garden  at  Buit- 
enzorg,  Java.  On  a  visit  there  my  attention  was  drawn  to 
the  unusual  size  of  its  leaves  and  its  white  flowers.  I  then 
had  an  interview  with  the  Javanese  who  found  it,  and 
decided  that  when  I  came  to  the  locality  I  would  try 
to  secure  some  specimens  of  this  unique  plant.  Having 
now  arrived  in  the  region,  I  decided  to  devote  a  few  days 
to  looking  for  the  orchid  and  at  the  same  time  investigate 
a  great  Penihing  burial  cave  which  was  found  by  my 
predecessor. 

Accompanied  by  two  of  our  soldiers  and  with  five 
Dayak  paddlers,  I  ascended  the  Tjehan  as  far  as  the  first 
kiham,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  which  I  presumed  that 
the  burial  cave  would  be  and  where,  therefore,  according 
to  the  description  given  to  me,  the  orchid  should  be  found. 


OUR   RETURN  JOURNEY  241 

There  was  no  doubt  that  we  were  near  a  locahty  much 
dreaded  by  the  natives;  even  before  I  gave  a  signal  to 
land,  one  of  the  Penihings,  recently  a  head-hunter,  be- 
came hysterically  uneasy.  He  was  afraid  of  orang  mati 
(dead  men),  he  said,  and  if  we  were  going  to  sleep  near 
them  he  and  his  companions  would  be  gone.  The  others 
were  less  perturbed,  and  when  assured  that  I  did  not 
want  anybody  to  help  me  look  for  the  dead  but  for  a  rare 
plant,  the  agitated  man,  who  was  the  leader,  also  became 
calm. 

We  landed,  but  the  soldier  who  usually  waited  upon 
me  could  not  be  persuaded  to  accompany  me.  All  the 
Javanese,  Malays,  and  Chinamen  are  afraid  of  the  dead, 
he  said,  and  declined  to  go.  Alone  I  climbed  the  steep 
mountain-side;  the  ascent  was  not  much  over  a  hundred 
metres,  but  I  had  to  make  my  way  between  big  blocks  of 
hard  limestone,  vegetation  being  less  dense  than  usual. 
It  was  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when,  from  the 
top  of  a  crest  which  I  had  reached,  I  suddenly  discovered 
at  no  great  distance,  perhaps  eighty  metres  in  front  of 
me,  a  large  cave  at  the  foot  of  a  limestone  hill.  With 
the  naked  eye  it  was  easy  to  distinguish  a  multitude  of 
rough  boxes  piled  in  three  tiers,  and  on  top  of  all  a  great 
variety  of  implements  and  clothing  which  had  been  de- 
posited there  for  the  benefit  of  the  dead.  It  made  a 
strange  impression  in  this  apparently  abandoned  coun- 
try where  the  dead  are  left  in  solitude,  feared  and  shunned 
by  their  former  associates. 

No  Penihing  will  go  to  the  cave  of  the  dead  except 
to  help  carry  a  corpse,  because  many  antohs  are  there 


242  THROUGH   CENTRAL   BORNEO 

who  make  people  ill.  The  extreme  silence  was  interrupted 
only  once,  by  the  defiant  cry  of  an  argus  pheasant.  As 
the  weather  was  cloudy  I  decided  to  return  here  soon,  by 
myself,  in  order  to  photograph  and  make  closer  inspection 
of  the  burial-place.  I  then  descended  to  the  prahu,  and 
desiring  to  make  camp  at  a  sufficient  distance  to  keep 
my  men  in  a  tranquil  state  of  mind,  we  went  about  two 
kilometres  down  the  river  and  found  a  convenient  camp- 
ing-place in  the  jungle. 

On  two  later  occasions  I  visited  the  cave  and  its 
surroundings,  becoming  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
whole  mountain.  The  Penihings  have  an  easy  access  to 
this  primeval  tomb,  a  little  further  below,  by  means  of 
a  path  leading  from  the  river  through  a  comparatively 
open  forest.  The  corpse  in  its  box  is  kept  two  to  seven 
days  in  the  house  at  the  kampong;  the  body  of  a  chief, 
which  is  honoured  with  a  double  box,  remains  ten  days. 
According  to  an  otherwise  trustworthy  Penihing  inform- 
ant, funeral  customs  vary  in  the  different  kampongs  of 
the  tribe,  and  generally  the  box  is  placed  on  a  crude  plat- 
form a  metre  above  the  ground. 

As  for  the  orchid,  I,  as  well  as  the  Dayaks,  who  were 
shown  an  illustration  of  it,  searched  in  vain  for  three  days. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  I  was  at  the  place  which  had  been 
described  to  me,  but  the  plant  must  be  extremely  rare 
and  probably  was  discovered  accidentally  "near  the 
water,"  as  the  native  collector  said,  perhaps  when  he  was 
resting. 


li4G91 


UC  SOUTHERN  RFGIONAL  LIBRARr  fACILITY 


AA    000  900  822    8 


CENTRAL  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
University  of  California,  San  Diego 


DATE  DUE 

FEB  0  9  1978 

Ttlitl  7  7P 

^r^.  2  7  1978 

MAY  04  1978 

SiP27  1985 

SEP  1 8  iyt 

CI  39 

UCSD  Libr. 

iillll 


